Best Colleges for Creative Writing Programs

Creative Writing is a field where writers explore their imagination and express ideas through words. It's an excellent degree for anyone interested in writing, regardless of whether your passion lies in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, or nonfiction. This flexibility is one reason why creative writing degrees have become very popular over the years. If you're wondering what college you should attend for writing, here's a lineup highlighting colleges that offer an undergraduate degree in Creative Writing, colleges that offer English majors with an Emphasis in Creative Writing, as well as minors, certificates, and a smattering of MFA program shoutouts.

What Makes a Creative Writing Program Stand Out?

The best creative writing programs are those that have been around for a while and have established themselves as leaders in the field. They also tend to be highly selective, which means they only accept students who are genuinely passionate about writing. These programs are usually led and taught by distinguished professionals like award-winning novelists, short story writers, journalists, and poets. And they typically have thriving writing centers and options for students to enter writing competitions and grow alongside one another within their community. But there's also a degree of subjectivity to any "best" list. So consider the following questions as you narrow your list.

Self-Evaluate Undergraduate Writing Programs

Does the Program Have the Courses You Want? Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different. Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops!
What Will You Learn? Will that help you build a career? This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus.
Who Will Be Teaching Those Classes? Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? If you're looking at a big school, there's a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has. A lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students.
Would you Feel at Home on the College Campus? Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it.

Common Questions About Creative Writing Programs

Before diving into the list of schools and programs, here are some common questions.

Is Creative Writing a BA, BFA, or BS Degree? Generally, a creative writing degree is a BA degree. But occasionally, we've seen a few BFAs. In addition, technical writing programs sometimes offer BS degrees.
What is the Best Creative Writing Degree? The answer to this question is it depends. It depends on what you want to do with your skills and experiences when you graduate. As you read through our list, you'll see that some degrees and programs tailored toward poetry or prose, while others would set you up nicely for a career in nonfiction writing.
How Much Does a Creative Writing Degree Cost? Like any other degree program, the cost of tuition will vary wildly depending on the institution, location, and how much financial aid you're eligible for.

Top Colleges for Creative Writing

Here are some of the best undergraduate programs for creative writing.

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and Creative Writing and a Literary Publishing Track. You'll also be earning your degree in writing in a UNESCO City of Literature which hosts an annual Book Fest, as well as numerous other opportunities to get involved with the flourishing literary community in Iowa City. Most widely known for the famous Iowa Writers' Workshop, it's less known that you don't have to be a graduate student to take advantage of the boatloads of experience in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Better yet, this is one of the few public universities on the list.

The University of Iowa might just be the place for you. However, what really makes Iowa a great place for writers is the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Poets laureate among its alumni.

Northwestern University

Nestled within the English Department at Northwestern University, the Creative Writing Major is considered a concentration, but admission is very competitive. Students can study it as a major, minor, or sequence-only student. Benefits of majoring include one-on-ones with visiting writers, senior honors, and participation in the winter senior readings series.

Students can apply for admission no earlier than the spring semester of their sophomore year and must complete specific prerequisites to be considered. Accepted students will study with accomplished professors, and visiting writers from the Annual Writers' Festival held during the Evanston Literary Festival. Outside the classroom, you can work on the student-run literary journal, intern at a publication in nearby Chicago, or submit to the Department of English's yearly writing competition. As an English and Creative Writing major here, you'll take classes from great young writers and established professors alike and get to choose from a wide range of topics.

Additionally, students can participate in the English Department’s annual spring writers festival, where three authors come to campus for a week of public readings, classes, and individual consultations with advanced creative writing students. The English Department offers additional creative writing events throughout the year.

Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different.

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Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York offers an undergraduate Creative Writing program that combines intensive workshops with seminars to produce works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction students can opt to major in a Single or Cross-Genre course of study. Students can also take workshops in dramatic writing and screenwriting. The program is modeled after the graduate Writing Division of The School of the Arts, which offers a high-ranking MFA program. Any student may apply to join the program regardless of their major upon entering Columbia. Located in New York City, students also have the advantage of being close to the major publishing houses in the industry.

Like Northwestern, Columbia is home to both a world-class creative writing program and a top journalism school (plus one of the best English departments in the country), so you have a wide range of writing-related course options.

New York City has a rich literary history due to the famous writers who have studied, worked, and lived there. If you want to follow in the footsteps of Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, Carson McCullers, and Eudora Welty - just to name a few - consider the writing program at Columbia, which is offered through the School of the Arts. Cross-disciplinary study is encouraged to complement and inspire each student’s writing practice. Outside of the creative writing major, students can take advantage of many cultural and arts events both on and off campus.

At Columbia University, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Cinematography and Film/Video Production, Creative Writing, and Journalism. Columbia University is separated into 20 different schools which include the College, global research outposts, Juilliard School, Barnard College, and more.

Oberlin College

Oberlin College's department of Creative Writing offers the program as both a major and a minor. With 57 courses and nine associated faculty, students can fully explore fiction, poetry, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. One of the standouts in this program versus others is the 5 Study Away program is the department collaborates with many Creative Writing programs that discourage students from heading abroad. The program can be competitive, even once you've been accepted. Students must submit an application for all upper-level workshops with 12 pages of their best work. The students with the best applications will be rewarded with a seat in a classroom at the picturesque Peters Hall at this Ohio institution.

As a small liberal arts school in Ohio, Oberlin offers very different advantages than the schools above do. You'll have fewer opportunities to pursue writing in the surrounding city, but the quality of the teachers and the range of courses might make up for that. Moreover, it boasts just as impressive alumni, including actress and writer Lena Dunham.

If you want another strong creative writing program to add to your list, look no further than Oberlin College - a private liberal arts school in northeast Ohio. The creative writing major is a rigorous program offering curriculum in various genres and a collaborative workshop environment. The program offers opportunities for students to engage with visiting writers at public readings, workshops, master classes, and individual consultations.

Emory University

Celebrating its 29th birthday this year, the Emory University undergraduate Creative Writing Program encourages students to approach the study of literature creatively, including through their own personal interests in specific genres such as poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. Every year, the Creative Writing Program sponsors the Creative Writing Reading Series, bringing four to six internationally renowned and prize-winning authors to Atlanta, GA, to discuss writing with Emory students.

Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program, which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers.

Hamilton College

Named for the now-famous-thanks-to-Lin-Manuel-Miranda Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton College's Literature and Creative Writing Department offers a creative writing curriculum that emphasizes small classes to go along with the development of superior reading and writing skills. Students can take advantage of research opportunities in writing, as well, and apply for the college's Emerson Grants program. Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton, students are just over four hours away from the publishing industry.

Hamilton is another small college, located in upstate New York. It's known for giving students the freedom to pursue their interests and the support to help them explore topics in real depth, both inside and outside the classroom.

Stanford University

The Creative Writing Program at Stanford University was founded by Wallace Stegner, a noted writer, and environmentalist, in 1946. For students earning an undergraduate degree, Stanford offers a major in English with an Emphasis on Creative Writing. A minor in Creative Writing is also offered for students taking majors outside of English, featuring tracks in prose and poetry. The Stegner Fellowship is a major offered by the Creative Writing Program, accepting five fiction and five poetry fellows per year. While there's no degree attached to this, it functions as a writer-in-residence opportunity and receives the guidance of Stanford faculty.

Brown University

The Literary Arts program at Brown University offers a concentration in Literary Arts within their English Department, but the primary focus is on MFA students. To complete the undergrad concentration, students need to take a mix of reading intensive and writing workshop classes. But as you'd expect from a liberal arts college with such a stellar reputation, an undergrad concentration in creative writing from Brown would be a worthwhile endeavor. In 1969, Brown University removed general education requirements, allowing students to craft their own journey with the help of an advising network.

Brown's Literary Arts program offers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major.

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh Writing Program is one of the oldest in the nation and offers three tracks for students to pursue: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Each track has three levels of classes and is topped off with a senior seminar capstone experience. Undergraduate students are eligible for four writing awards at the University of Pittsburgh and can also participate in events such as the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series. The institution also features an MFA program.

University of Miami

The University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences features a Bachelor's in English with a Creative Writing Concentration. In addition, students can opt for a Thesis or non-thesis track. Still, both routes feature courses with a multilingual aspect, whether it's an entirely different language or an English vernacular from other communities. UM's MFA program is the only nationwide program with a broad, multilingual focus. Mangrove, a national undergraduate literary magazine, allows students to get hands-on learning, and they can also utilize USpeak, UM's open mic night, to read original work aloud. At the University of Miami, the most popular majors students pursue are Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, Finance, General, Psychology, and General.

Kenyon College

Located in Gabier, OH, and home to the Kenyon Review, Kenyon College features an English major with an Emphasis on Creative Writing. In addition, tenTen faculty members teach workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. While at Kenyon College, students can apply for internships with the Kenyon Review Student Associates Program, apply for the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, submit to The Kenyon Collegian, and more. Students can also take advantage of the Kenyon-Exeter program to study abroad.

Brandeis University

Brandeis University also offers the whole enchilada: a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. It's been taught at Brandeis since 1951 and became its own major in 2003, with classes offered entirely by established writers. Workshops have a maximum of 14 students, and the program is very active, with sponsored reading series', student awards, panel discussions, publishing workshops, and journal and performance opportunities.

Bucknell University

Home to the Stadler Center for Poetry and Literary Arts, Bucknell University's Creative Writing major, housed in the English department, gets support both on and off campus. Students can take workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, participate in a lively reading series, internship opportunities, and garner knowledge from writers-in-residence. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, students study contemporary texts just three hours from the publishing capital, NYC.

Washington University in St. Louis

Students at Washington University in St. Louis can earn a Certificate in Creative Writing comprised of 16 units. Acceptance to the MFA program is highly competitive but comes with several perks. Washington University has an excellent creative writing MFA program, lots of super specific class options, and a number of scholarships specifically earmarked for creative writing students. This school’s undergraduate English program also offers a concentration in creative writing that allows students to specialize in a specific genre: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. At Washington University in St Louis, the most popular majors students study are Computer Science, Experimental Psychology, and Mechanical Engineering.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins has a writing program that allows you to explore many different writing styles, including poetry, literature, and prose. Johns Hopkins is another school that's known more for engineering than it is for writing, but, like MIT, it has a dedicated writing program. Annually, Johns Hopkins University grants about 175 degrees to those majoring in Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology, which is the institution’s most popular major.

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia offers a fully-funded 2-year MFA program that is highly competitive - it only admits five poets and five fiction writers per year. However, through the English program, undergraduates can major in English and choose a concentration in poetry or literary prose. Going in the poetry direction allows writers to pursue serious study of the craft of poetry writing and poetics. In contrast, literary prose writing or literary prose allows English majors to specialize in the art of narrative writing.

Manhattanville University

Manhattan University's English major with a concentration in creative writing lets students explore fiction, poetry, and nonfiction through small, hands-on classes. Students can take courses like “The Little Magazine,” where they'll help run a real literary journal, and they can also publish their work in Manhattan Magazine, the college’s own creative writing journal. Plus, high-achieving students can join the new James Patterson Honors Program (named for the thriller author, one of the best-selling writers of all time). Every year, Manhattanville University awards around 62 degrees to those studying Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, the institution’s most popular major.

Honorable Mentions

University of Rochester: The Department of English offers a track in Creative Writing. Students must apply to a specific Creative Writing advisor and receive written approval to pursue the concentration.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: In the Comparative Media Studies department, students can major in Writing. MIT offers several different writing genres but has several unique classes in science writing in particular.
Colorado College: A track within the English major, students at Colorado College can complete 15 courses to get awarded the distinction of Creative Writing at graduation. As a small liberal arts school, Colorado College provides a wealth of opportunities for aspiring writers. Students can pursue a creative writing track as part of the English major - a minor in creative writing is also available. In addition to focusing on the craft of writing, students in the program study literature and literary theory to develop critical reading and thinking skills.
Colby College: The Creative Writing concentration at Colby College is provided for English majors. Students can earn an Honors designation, as well.
University of Texas-Austin: UT-Austin offers a Certificate in Creative Writing, as well as an Honors option. The New Writers Project is a 3-year MFA program that offers concentrations in poetry and fiction.

Paying for Your Creative Writing Degree

Now that you have a good idea of what's out there in terms of degree options, you'll want to be sure to connect with scholarship money and accurate degree program cost details. That's where Appily comes in. Create a free Appily account to compare costs and access scholarships and our $1,000 easy-apply scholarship we offer every month. There’s no essay or GPA required to apply. Finding a dedicated creative writing program at a school you're excited about can be a real challenge, and that's even before you start worrying about getting in. Nonetheless, there are some great options. You should never take college rankings as absolute truth-not even the very official-seeming US News ones. Instead, use these kinds of lists as a jumping-off place for your own exploration of colleges.

Additional Considerations

MFA Ranking: If a school has a great graduate creative writing program, it means you'll be taught by those same professors and the excellent graduate students they attract. Schools with strong MFA programs are also more likely to have solid alumni networks and internship opportunities.
Alumni/Prestige: This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers?
Course Offerings: Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different. Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops!
Professors: Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? If you're looking at a big school, there's a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. But that's not necessarily a bad thing: a lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students. Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has.
Alumni Network: If you have a sense of what you want to do after you graduate, see if any alumni of the program are pursuing that type of career.
Overall Fit: Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it.
Is a Creative Writing Major the Right Fit?: Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you?

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