creative writing fife college

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Creative Writing

Five College Creative Writing supports collaboration and community among writers on all five campuses.

The Five Colleges have always been home to a vibrant literary community, counting legendary figures like James Baldwin, Emily Dickinson, and Sylvia Plath as some of their own. That tradition continues today, stronger than ever, through bountiful writing course offerings, celebrated faculty, and a wide variety of resources, events, and opportunities for community. 

On this page, you will find information about current faculty in creative writing, upcoming courses, events calendars, and resources for those hoping to learn more about creative writing on the campuses and in the greater Valley area.

On This Page

Faculty and staff, amherst college.

Judith Frank , English, Creative Writing Center Kirun Kapur , English, Director of the Creative Writing Program Shayla Lawson , English, Creative Writing Center Min Jin Lee , English, Writer-In-Residence Thirii Myint , English, Creative Writing Center Catherine Newman , Department Coordinator - Creative Writing Center Rebecca Olander , English Dennis Sweeney , English, Creative Writing Center

Hampshire College

Faune Albert , Writing Instructor Nathalie (Nell) Arnold , Anthropology, Literary Arts, African Studies Alejandro Cuellar , Director of the Writing Program Nathan McClain , Creative Writing, African American Literary Arts  

Mount Holyoke College

Rachel (Afua) Ansong , Africana Studies Lucas de Lima , English Anna Maria Hong , English Andrea Lawlor , English, T Kira Madden , English Elliot Montague , Film Production  

Smith College

Jennifer Blackburn , Program & Outreach Coordinator - Boutelle-Day Poetry Center Leila Chatti , Writer-In-Residence 2022-23 Floyd Cheung , English Language and Literature, American Studies Arda Collins , English Language and Literature Carole DeSanti , English Language and Literature Matt Donovan , English Language and Literature, Director - Boutelle-Day Poetry Center Andrea Hairston , Theater, Africana Studies Sarah London , English Language and Literature Art Middleton , English Language and Literature Ruth Ozeki , English Language and Literature Susan Stinson , English Language and Literature  

UMass Amherst

Abigail Chabitnoy , English, MFA for Poets & Writers CA Conrad , MFA for Poets & Writers Martin Espada , English Peter Gizzi , English, MFA for Poets & Writers John Hennessy , English Noy Holland , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Jennifer Jacobson , Associate Director - MFA for Poets & Writers Francis Lo , Coordinator - MFA for Poets & Writers Edie Meidav , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Hoa Nguyen, MFA for Poets & Writers Jeff Parker , English, Associate Director - MFA for Poets & Writers Jordy Rosenberg , English, MFA for Poets & Writers Betsy Wheeler , Director - Juniper Summer Writing Institute, Institute for Young Writers, and Juniper Young Writers Online  

Annual Events

Five college prose & poetry prize.

Formerly Five College PoetryFest, the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize celebrates the quality and range of student creative writing, with two writers representing, respectively, Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the Care Center/Bard Micro-College. PoetryFest was created in 2003 by Lorna Peterson, former executive director of Five Colleges, Inc., and Ellen Doré Watson, former director of the Smith College Poetry Center, and originally recognized student poets chosen by faculty nomination. 

In 2022, a collaborative decision by creative writing faculty and staff on each of the campuses reimagined the event, the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize, as a celebration of all genres of creative writing, with an open submission call and winners chosen by a panel of judges from the MFA for Poets and Writers at UMass Amherst. 

This year's reading and reception will take place at 7pm on April 18th, 2024, at the Harold F. Johnson Library, Hampshire College.

Amherst’s annual literary festival celebrates the College’s literary life by inviting distinguished authors and editors to discuss the pleasures and challenges of verbal expression — from fiction and nonfiction to poetry and spoken-word performance.

View the 2023 schedule.

Glascock Poetry Competition

The Glascock Intercollegiate Poetry Contest honors Kathryn Irene Glascock, a promising young poet who died of pneumonia. 

Poet-contestants from invited institutions are nominated or chosen by their own schools. The poetry contest is judged by a panel of three distinguished poets. 

The competition weekend includes a series of public events over the course of a weekend: a Conversation With the Judges, the Student Poetry Competition, and the Judges’ Reading and Announcement of the Contest Winner. 

Many Glascock contestants have gone on to literary renown, such as Muriel Rukeyser, James Agee, James Merrill, Kenneth Koch, Diana Chang, Sylvia Plath, Donald Hall, Katha Pollit, and Maggie Nelson. 

The Care Center/Bard Micro-College

Bard Microcollege Holyoke is a tuition-free college for women, inclusive of trans and non-binary students, whose education has been interrupted by parenting, financial challenges, and other family responsibilities. Developed in partnership between Bard Prison Initiative and The Care Center in Holyoke, the unique program allows students to earn a Bard College Associate in Arts Degree by taking courses at The Care Center, a community-based organization with a long tradition of bringing higher education to young mothers and their families. They also provide the necessary support services such as transportation and childcare. 

With its curricular emphasis on writing and the humanities, Bard Microcollege Holyoke extends The Care Center’s tradition of placing liberal arts at the center of the student experience. Students from both Bard Microcollege and The Care Center benefit from workshops in poetry and creative writing, and publishing opportunities such as Nautilus II Magazine. Through dedicated arts and literary programming, The Care Center brings poet laureates and awarded authors, both internationally and nationally, to read, speak, and work with young writers in the program. 

In 2012 The Care Center was selected as one of twelve in the country to receive the Presidential Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.  In 2019 The Care Center was awarded the Commonwealth Award, the highest honor given to cultural organizations in Massachusetts.  

Five College faculty often take part in readings and other literary programming at the Care Center, and Bard Microcollege and Care Center students participate in the Five College Prose and Poetry Prize.

Learn more.

Ray Rennard, Director of Academic Programs [email protected]

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

• Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
• Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
• Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
• Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
• Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
• Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

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Sir Ian Rankin awards creative writing scholarships to Fife College students

One of the world’s renowned crime writers, Sir Ian Rankin, has awarded special writing scholarships to three students from Fife College.

Popular for his fictional character Rebus, Sir Ian generously supports the annual creative writing scholarship which this year was awarded to students Stephanie Philbin, Murron Carscadden and Eileen Walls.

Offered through Adam Smith Scholarships, part of Fife College, the Ian Rankin Scholarship is open to all full-time students, giving all students with a creative flair the opportunity to submit a piece of writing and have their work read and judged by the celebrated author.

This year’s winning students each received £600, a signed copy of his latest book, A Heart Full of Headstones, and the chance to meet Ian at a special presentation lunch event held at the College’s Kirkcaldy Campus training restaurant, The Academy.

A donor of the College’s scholarship programme since 2005, Ian has supported 55 students, giving up his time to read and critique the written entries and providing feedback on the winners, as well as attending the presentations in person each year.

This year’s recipients were also joined by previous winners, Chloe Robertson, Malcolm Ross, Daniel Savage and Sonia MacPhee, who unfortunately did not get the opportunity to meet Ian previously due to Covid when presentations had to be held online.

Sir Ian Rankin said:

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of this year’s scholarship entries. There was fantastic quality and range, along with the confident use of various techniques. All entrants used their imaginations and writing skills to good effect.” “It was lovely to get the chance to meet this year’s award winners, and previous winners, in person too. I hope their scholarships inspire them to great things and I wish them all the very best for the future.”

HND Counselling student, Eileen Walls, from Dunfermline said:

“I was absolutely delighted to hear that I had been awarded an Ian Rankin Scholarship. Writing poetry has always been one of my greatest loves in life. To have my work read and critiqued by such a creative mind has been a real honour and a wonderful boost to my confidence.”

Intermediate Certificate: Pathway to Further Study student Stephanie Philbin, from Kirkcaldy, said:

“I felt shocked and excited to be awarded this scholarship. The money will be used for items to help me prepare for university next year.”

Lyn Gold, Scholarship and Alumni Engagement Lead at Fife College, said:

“We were thrilled that Ian was able to join us to award his scholarships at The Academy in our Kirkcaldy Campus this year. To have a world-renowned writer like Ian continue to support our students really is amazing.”

“He always takes great interest in the students’ work and generously gives up his time to review and judge their creative writing, which is a hugely valuable experience for them all.

“Ian has been offering this scholarship for 18 years now, inspiring over 50 students in that time. We are so grateful for his ongoing support which we know makes such a difference to our students.”

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• Best Online Creative Writing Degree Programs

Best Online Creative Writing Degree Programs Of 2024

Updated: May 16, 2024, 10:45am

Joan Didion once wrote, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Her sentiment captures the power of storytelling and the fundamental role it plays in the human experience. Language, writing and literature shape our world and our experiences in remarkable ways. These forces converge within the field of creative writing, allowing us to push the boundaries of language and structure, explore new perspectives and stretch our imaginations to create worlds of our own.

Beyond storytelling, creative writing offers a breadth of tools and skills transferable to many fields and industries, including healthcare, technology, business and education. Pursuing a degree in creative writing online can help you sharpen your written and verbal communication skills, develop robust research practices and enhance your critical thinking abilities.

In this article, we explore all 10 schools with online degrees in creative writing that met our ranking criteria. We highlight each program’s standout features and key considerations to help you narrow down your search.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We ranked 10 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online bachelor’s degree programs in creative writing in the U.S. using 17 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites. Data is accurate as of February 2024.

We scored schools based on the following metrics:

Student Outcomes:

• Graduation rate within eight years of normal time
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation
• Pell Grant recipient graduation rate within eight years of normal time
• Retention rate
• Pell Grant graduation rate vs. overall graduation rate

Affordability:

• Average in-state undergraduate tuition and fees
• Median federal student loan debt
• Student loan default rate
• Percentage of students who take out loans

Student Experience:

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Program’s coursework (excluding student orientations, field experiences and labs) is available 100% online
• Portion of undergraduate students enrolled in at least some distance learning courses

Credibility:

• Fully accredited
• Nonprofit status

Application Process:

• Acceptance rate
• Uses Common App

We listed all 10 schools in the U.S. that met our ranking criteria.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

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Best Online Creative Writing Degree Options

Should you enroll in an online degree program in creative writing, accreditation for degrees in creative writing online, how to find the right online degree in creative writing for you, frequently asked questions (faqs) about degrees in creative writing online, university of central florida, texas tech university, regent university, central washington university, university of iowa, colorado christian university, liberty university, southern new hampshire university, weber state university, savannah college of art and design.

Undergraduate Tuition

$179.19/credit (in-state)

Overall Student Retention Rate

Overall Graduation Rate

Based in Orlando, the University of Central Florida , offers a fully online Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing. Learners explore communication, rhetoric, literary structure and script writing through poetry, fiction and nonfiction texts.

The curriculum provides a theoretical and practical framework that encourages students to construct sound arguments, develop original creative content across genres and enhance their critical thinking abilities. This program covers topics such as communication, rhetoric and literary structure.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on Your Schedule
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $30
• Degree Credit Requirements: 120 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part time (mandatory for first-time students in their first semester), full time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Fiction writing workshop, history of prose style, advanced poetry writing workshop
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No

$284/credit (in-state)

At Texas Tech University , based in Lubbock, learners can pursue an online B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing. The comprehensive curriculum provides a strong foundation in creative writing and rhetoric while delving into a rich array of global, American and British literature.

Through the diverse elective selection, learners can explore genres like drama, film, linguistics, science fiction and fantasy. Students seeking hands-on experience can opt to complete an internship in literature, creative writing and linguistics. This program is designed for aspiring writers, students planning to attend graduate school and those interested in teaching college-level writing or literature.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn Around Your 9-to-5
• Application Fee: $75
• Program Enrollment Options: Part time, full time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Essentials of college rhetoric, language and community, studies in literary topics
• In-Person Requirements: Optional internship

$450/credit (part time), $395/credit (full time)

Regent University , a private Christian institution in Virginia Beach, Virginia, offers an online B.A. in English with a focus in writing. The curriculum emphasizes the development of creative, professional and technical writing abilities. During the program, students gain a foundational overview of U.S., British and world literature, while honing fundamental writing skills across disciplines, including business, media and web writing.

Students can tailor their studies to their interests with courses like writing for animation, creative nonfiction and feature writing, and writing for strategic communication.

• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: N/A
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Business and professional writing, narrative concept and development, personal and professional editing

$222/credit (in state)

You can pursue an online professional and creative writing major at Central Washington University (CWU), based in Ellensburg, Washington. This comprehensive program takes a practical and collaborative approach to writing, literary analysis and critical thinking. You’ll explore writing techniques and technologies in the workplace and develop skills for creative, technical, professional and business writing, editing and publishing.

You’ll participate in writing workshops with your peers, providing and receiving feedback to develop your craft. Customize your degree with career-focused electives like freelance writing, screenwriting fundamentals and accessible information design. This program requires students to complete at least two practicum credits.

• Application Fee: $60
• Degree Credit Requirements: 180 quarter credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Writing and editing for publication, visual rhetoric and document design, multi-genre writing workshop

$376/credit (in-state)

The University of Iowa , based in Iowa City, offers an online Bachelor of Applied Studies with a focus in creative writing. This program is designed for community college grads who want to complete a four-year program. Applicants can transfer 60 college credits from their associate degree. First-year students are not eligible to enroll in this program.

The creative writing track requires learners to complete 18 credits, including three core courses and three electives. Students explore the many facets of written communication, including writing strategies, novel writing and the art of revision. The curriculum covers creative writing across genres, including fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, poetry and professional writing.

• Application Fee: $55
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Professional and creative business communications, the art of revision: writing for clarity, the sentence: strategies for writing

$494/credit

Colorado Christian University (CCU), located in Lakewood, offers a 100% online B.A. in creative writing. Through a Christian framework, learners hone their written and verbal communication skills, research practices and critical thinking abilities.

Students delve into the structure and function of publishing entities and their audiences. They also develop the tools to navigate opportunities and challenges in creating, publishing and marketing their work.

You can accelerate your timeline by transferring up to 90 credits toward your bachelor’s degree. CCU also offers credits for life experience.

• Application Fee: Free
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Introduction to self-publishing, author and book marketing, advanced creative writing

$390/credit (full time)

Liberty University , a private evangelical Christian college in Lynchburg, Virginia, offers a fully online Bachelor of Science in creative writing. Throughout the program, students learn creative writing practices and principles across multiple genres, including memoir, poetry, film and theater. In addition to developing fundamental writing skills, learners study research practices, editing for publishing, and print and digital publishing.

This program offers specializations in English, journalism and Christian literature, allowing students to pursue a degree that matches their career goals.

• Application Fee: $50
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Writing for theater and film, editing for publishing, writing for cultural engagement
• Concentrations Available: Journalism, English, Christian literature

$330/credit

Southern New Hampshire University , in Manchester, New Hampshire, offers an online B.A. in creative writing and English. This program helps learners develop their writing and storytelling talents through. It features an overview of genre-specific conventions and techniques, approaches to literary analysis and literary form, style and structure. Writers present their work and collaborate with their peers in advanced workshops.

When enrolling in this program, you have the option to choose the general track or select a concentration in fiction, nonfiction, poetry or screenwriting.

• Example Major-Specific Courses: Writing with digital media, critical approaches to literature, popular and contemporary fiction
• Concentrations Available: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting

$2735.38/term (full time, in state)

Weber State University , based in Ogden, Utah, offers an online B.A. in English with an emphasis in creative writing. This program is designed to help students hone their craft in writing original fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Learners collaborate with their peers in workshops and receive one-on-one mentorship from faculty.

The curriculum overviews American, British, global and contemporary literature, writing forms, and editing and publishing. Students can choose from a variety of courses to customize their coursework to their interests, and the program requires a minor.

• Example Major-Specific Courses: Contemporary literature for creative writers, professional and technical writing, notebooks and journals forms and crafts
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, meet with a faculty advisor twice annually for course and program advisement

$914/credit

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), based in Savannah, Georgia, offers an online Bachelor of Fine Arts in dramatic writing. This program focuses on storytelling for visual and performance-based media.

Students explore the conventions of storytelling for various mediums, including the screen, stage and digital platforms. The workload includes crafting screenplays, scripts and other forms of dramatic writing, honing essential skills for careers in television, theater, film and digital media.

• Application Fee: $100
• Degree Credit Requirements: 180 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Visual culture in context: making modernities, improvisation for writers, digital film production: story to screen

Pursuing a creative writing degree online can be a convenient option for learners seeking more flexibility to meet the needs of their busy schedules or learning preferences. With the freedom to study from anywhere, online learning allows students to access programs they otherwise wouldn’t be able to, allowing them to personalize their education to align with their academic and professional interests.

Still, while online learning offers flexibility in some areas, it also presents unique challenges. Distance learning doesn’t provide the same structured learning environment as in-person instruction; therefore, learners must have strong time management abilities to stay on top of their studies.

Institutional accreditation should be at the forefront of your research as you consider prospective online creative writing degrees. Institutional accreditation is a rigorous evaluation process that colleges and universities undertake to ensure they meet established standards. Accrediting bodies assess a school’s program offerings, faculty, support services and student outcomes.

Enrolling in an accredited institution ensures that your degree is recognized by employers, other higher education institutions and credentialing bodies. Plus, you must be enrolled in an accredited school to qualify for federal student aid. To verify a school’s accreditation status, search the Database of Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, managed by the U.S. Department of Education.

Consider Your Future Goals

Before enrolling in an online creative writing degree program, consider your academic and professional goals carefully. Each program has its own scope and focus, which can set you up for different writing careers . Some programs offer a broad curriculum, while others specialize in specific genres like poetry, screenwriting, fiction or nonfiction. You might also consider faculty expertise if you’re interested in being taught by someone with experience in a specific area.

Whether you’re planning to enter the workforce immediately or earn a master’s in creative writing , building a solid portfolio of work is crucial. You might prioritize programs that offer publication or professional development opportunities through internships or practicums.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

The cost of earning an online creative writing degree can vary significantly by school. The semester-based schools on our list range from $180 to $494 per credit. Over a 120-credit degree, this translates to $21,600 to $59,280.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the average undergraduate tuition in the 2022–23 academic year cost $9,750 for public schools and $38,421 for private nonprofit colleges. In comparison, our programs cost between $5,400 and $41,130 per year.

Many financing options are available for distance learners, including scholarships, grants and loans. Submitting the FAFSA® can help you determine your eligibility for federal financial aid.

Can you get a creative writing degree online?

Yes, it’s possible to earn a creative writing degree online. Every creative writing degree featured in this article can be earned online.

Are creative writing degrees worth it?

A creative writing degree can be worth it, depending on your interests and career goals. Creative writing degrees can be versatile and equip you with in-demand transferable skills across multiple industries, including business, technology, healthcare and education.

Is creative writing a hard degree?

Earning a creative writing degree can be challenging. Producing original work, completing assigned readings and participating in collaborative workshops can create a demanding workload.

Mariah is a Berlin-based writer with six years of experience in writing, localizing and SEO-optimizing short- and long-form content across multiple niches, including higher education, digital marketing and travel. Her writing expertise extends to brand strategies and driving small business growth through targeted content. In the last three years, she's primarily produced education-focused content, writing on topics like degree programs, trade schools and career pathways.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 12 best creative writing colleges and programs.

College Info

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. In order to help you find the best school for you, this list rounds up some of the best colleges for creative writing in the United States .

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

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. Pay attention not just to what the rankings are but to how the rankings are determined.

To help with that, I'll explain how I came up with this highly unscientific list of great creative writing colleges. I started by narrowing my search down to schools that offered a specific creative writing major. (If you don't see a school you were expecting, it's likely because they only have a minor.)

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

• #1: 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. However, many schools with great undergrad programs do not offer MFAs, in which case I simply focused on the other four options.
• #2: General School Reputation —The vast majority of your classes won't be in creative writing, so it's important that other parts of the school, especially the English department, are great as well.
• #3: Extracurricular Opportunities —One of the key advantages of majoring in creative writing is that it can provide access to writing opportunities outside the classroom, so I took what kind of internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines the school offers into consideration.
• #4: Diversity of Class Options —I gave extra points to schools with a variety of genre options and specific, interesting classes.
• #5: Alumni/Prestige —This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers? Certainly it's less important than what kind of education you'll actually get, but having a brand-name degree (so to speak) can be helpful.

The Best Creative Writing Schools

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of schools! The exact numbering is always arguable, so look at it as a general trend from absolutely amazing to still super great, rather than fixating on why one school is ranked #3 and another is ranked #4.

#1: Northwestern University

Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program boasts acclaimed professors and an unparalleled track record of turning out successful writers (including Divergent author Veronica Roth and short-story writer Karen Russell).

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 . The university is also home to a top journalism program , so if you want to try your hand at nonfiction as well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

#2: Columbia University

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. Columbia also benefits from its location in New York City, which is bursting at the seams with publishing houses, literary journals, and talented authors.

#3: University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's big draw is the infrastructure of its graduate Writers' Workshop, which is often considered the best MFA program in the country.

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. This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus. You'll also have access to the university's impressive literary community, including frequent readings, writing prizes and scholarships, and the acclaimed literary journal The Iowa Review .

#4: Emory University

Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program , which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers. Students here have the chance to attend intimate question-and-answer sessions with award-winning authors, study a range of genres, compete for writing awards and scholarships, and work closely with an adviser to complete an honors project.

#5: Oberlin College

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.

#6: Hamilton College

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. Hamilton's creative writing program takes full advantage with small classes and lots of opportunities to intern and publish; it also has one of the best writing centers in the country.

#7: Brown University

Brown's Literary Arts program offers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major . For the major, you must take four creative writing workshops and six reading-intensive courses, which span an array of departments and topics, from music and literature to Middle East studies and Egyptology.

#8: Washington University in St. Louis

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. If you’re interested in exploring your potential in a specific writing genre, Washington University could be a great pick for you.

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT might not be a school you generally associate with writing, but it actually has an excellent program that offers courses in digital media and science writing, as well as creative writing, and provides plenty of guidance on how graduates can navigate the tricky job market.

Not to mention the school is located in Cambridge, a haven for book lovers and writers of all kinds. Though it probably isn’t a good fit for students who hate science, MIT is a great place for aspiring writers who want to build writing skills that are marketable in a wide range of industries.

#10: University of Michigan

University of Michigan is one of the best state universities in the country and has a top-notch MFA program. This school’s undergrad creative writing sub-concentration requires students to submit applications for admittance to advanced creative writing courses. These applications give students crucial practice in both building a writing portfolio and articulating their interest in creative writing to an audience who will evaluate their work. If you're looking to attend a big school with a great creative writing major, this is a fantastic choice.

#11: Johns Hopkins University

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. As a major here, you must take not only courses in prose, poetry, and literature, but also classes on topics such as philosophy and history.

#12: Colorado College

Colorado College is a small liberal arts school known for its block plan , which allows students to focus on one class per three-and-a-half-week block. The creative writing track of the English major includes a sequence of four writing workshops and also requires students to attend every reading of the Visiting Writers Series.

Bonus School: New York University

I didn't include NYU in the main list because it doesn't have a dedicated creative writing major, but it's a great school for aspiring writers nonetheless, offering one of the most impressive creative writing faculties in the country and all the benefits of a Manhattan location.

How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. (The football fans are completely terrifying, for one thing.) So where should you go then?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking at creative writing programs to help you determine the best school for you:

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

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. For example, if you want to write sonnets but the school focuses more on teaching fiction, it probably won't be a great fit for you.

Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops! In most programs, you'll be taking a lot of these, too.

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

I touched on this idea in the criteria section, but it's important enough that I want to reiterate it here. Some of the best writing experience you can get is found outside the classroom, so see what kind of writing-related extracurriculars a school has before committing to it.

Great options include getting involved with the campus newspaper, working on the school's literary journal, or interning at the university press.

Who Will Be Teaching You?

Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? Check teacher ratings on Rate My Professors (but make sure to read the actual reviews—and always take them with a grain of salt).

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. If there's a great creative writing MFA program, then the graduate students are likely to be better writers and more engaged teachers.

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

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. The stronger the alumni network is, the more connections you'll have when it comes time to get a job.

What About the Rest of the School?

Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it. Most of your time will be spent doing other things, whether hanging out in the dorms, exploring off campus, or fulfilling general education requirements.

Many schools require you to apply to the creative writing major, so make doubly sure you'll be happy with your choice even if you aren't accepted to the program.

What's Next?

Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you? Read our post on the pros and cons of the major to help you decide what path to take in college.

For more general advice about choosing a college, check out our complete guide to finding the right school for you. Some major factors to consider include deciding whether you're interested in a small college or a big university , an in-state or out-of-state institution , and a public or private school .

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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The Creative Writing certificate program will provide students with a focus in the written creative arts including screenwriting and playwriting, the writing of creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, and writing for children and young adults. This may culminate in a capstone in one or multiple genres.

Program Goals

By completing this certificate, students will achieve the following learning goals:

• Demonstrate critical knowledge of a wide range of creative writing and a variety of diverse cultural viewpoints;
• Demonstrate expertise in critical analysis of professional works of literature as writers (reading as writers);
• Demonstrate knowledge of genres and aesthetics by learning to write well in many forms. This includes a basic command of grammar;
• Demonstrate intellectual discipline by narrowing one’s creative focus and energies to produce the most effective work while meeting deadlines and managing time effectively; and
• Demonstrate habits of creativity in the forms of creative problem solving, experimentation, inventiveness, and revision.

Completion Requirements

• A minimum of 12 semester credits must be completed at ARCC.
• A minimum grade of C must be earned in all program and additional requirements.
• All course requirements must be complete before a certificate will be awarded.
• To complete your program, please submit the appropriate application found here .
• The requirements of this program are subject to change without notice.

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