Creative Writing

CIP Code: 23.1302

A creative writing degree prepares graduates for careers in Postsecondary teachers, all other, English language and literature teachers, postsecondary, Editors and more. 441 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded

7,423

                Colleges Offering
                441
            

                Avg. Career Salary
                $76,073
            

                Top Career Salary
                $78,490
            

Creative Writing Salary by College

Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $48,471 four years after graduating (middle half: $32,167–$67,306). Where you study it matters: across 137 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $32,267 to $81,253.

Sort by:

#	College	4 yrs after	Wage-adjusted	1 yr after	Median debt	Outcome Rating
1	University of Richmond University Of Richmond, VA	$81,253	$73,988	—	—	A
2	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	$75,686	$71,733	$47,950	—	B+
3	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	$71,205	$72,416	—	—	A+
4	Iowa State University Ames, IA	$69,673	$73,287	—	—	B+
5	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	$69,373	$63,125	$44,553	$13,000	A+
6	Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY	$68,522	$65,219	—	—	B+
7	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	$68,314	$69,455	$38,713	$21,323	A+
8	Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN	$67,607	$64,579	—	—	A
9	Clemson University Clemson, SC	$67,102	$74,406	$43,505	$20,250	A+
10	Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN	$65,605	$70,382	$50,446	$27,000	A
11	College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN	$64,449	$61,563	—	—	B+
12	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	$63,503	$55,731	$43,524	$13,728	A+
13	Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD	$62,745	$55,066	$34,013	$27,000	A
14	University of North Texas Denton, TX	$62,703	$63,751	$45,015	$17,931	C+
15	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	$62,473	$65,006	—	$25,000	A+
16	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	$62,383	$56,805	$40,114	$20,000	B+
17	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE	$61,941	$64,018	$35,726	—	C
19	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	$61,676	$63,373	$44,411	$23,495	B+
18	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	$61,676	$63,373	$44,411	$23,495	B+
20	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	$61,474	$65,602	$42,287	$23,250	B
21	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	$61,159	$58,211	$24,935	$23,250	A
22	Utah State University Logan, UT	$60,940	$57,757	—	—	C
23	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	$60,563	$61,575	$39,943	$20,494	B+
24	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	$60,415	$57,709	$38,407	$18,689	A
25	Seattle University Seattle, WA	$60,291	$55,455	$32,663	$23,000	A
26	Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN	$59,779	$57,102	$39,558	$13,095	C+
27	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	$59,430	$60,423	$37,883	$12,917	B
28	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	$59,281	$60,912	$31,006	$21,500	C
29	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	$59,032	$53,715	$32,431	$16,689	B
30	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	$58,918	$55,100	$39,526	$17,813	F
31	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	$58,484	$59,461	$37,548	$20,045	C+
32	St. Joseph's University-New York Brooklyn, NY	$57,305	$54,542	$33,205	$21,500	B
33	University at Albany Albany, NY	$57,286	$54,524	—	—	B+
34	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	$57,179	$52,067	—	$21,891	B+
38	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	$57,012	$57,982	$35,700	$24,046	A
37	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA	$57,012	$57,982	$35,700	$24,046	B+
36	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA	$57,012	$57,982	$35,700	$24,046	B
35	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA	$57,012	$57,982	$35,700	$24,046	B
39	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	$56,662	$59,743	$33,401	$24,360	A
40	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	$56,632	$55,641	—	—	C
41	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	$56,244	$65,122	$33,999	$13,984	C
42	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO	$55,361	$51,773	$34,339	$27,649	C+
43	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	$54,917	$58,883	$47,377	$21,793	C
44	Emory University Atlanta, GA	$54,848	$56,779	$29,909	$21,000	A+
45	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	$54,778	$58,304	$35,634	—	B+
46	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA	$54,390	$49,527	$35,716	$25,000	D
47	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI	$53,436	$55,603	$35,423	$25,000	B
48	Saint Edward's University Austin, TX	$53,151	$54,039	$31,518	$26,000	B
49	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	$52,625	$51,830	$43,267	$20,500	B+
50	DePauw University Greencastle, IN	$51,983	$55,768	$31,640	—	A
51	Emerson College Boston, MA	$51,742	$45,564	$33,441	$23,776	C+
52	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	$51,414	$46,783	$28,725	$12,500	C
53	Ithaca College Ithaca, NY	$51,001	$48,542	$26,443	$25,000	B
54	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	$50,875	$53,642	$23,298	$26,000	C
55	Weber State University Ogden, UT	$50,847	$48,191	$36,205	$20,991	B+
56	Drake University Des Moines, IA	$50,591	$53,216	—	—	A
58	Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies Springfield, MO	$50,287	$53,918	$24,127	$20,186	D
57	Drury University Springfield, MO	$50,287	$53,918	$24,127	$20,186	D
59	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	$50,120	$53,486	$31,218	$26,000	C
60	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	$49,918	$53,553	$25,084	$18,875	A+
61	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	$49,366	$46,986	$24,377	$19,300	A
62	Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA	$48,774	$50,491	$32,415	$27,000	C+
63	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN	$48,263	$52,722	—	—	D
64	Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA	$48,189	$49,885	$28,418	$25,000	D
65	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	$47,823	$50,424	$23,508	$21,500	C+
66	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	$47,702	$45,402	$36,244	—	A+
67	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	$47,530	$48,338	$26,242	$26,000	C
68	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	$47,439	$49,109	$31,447	$25,000	C
69	Champlain College Burlington, VT	$47,141	$48,418	$23,237	$26,000	B
71	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA	$47,124	$43,344	$29,758	$14,000	B+
70	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	$47,124	$43,344	$29,758	$14,000	A
72	Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL	$47,052	$46,228	$33,556	$21,500	B
73	University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL	$46,767	$53,085	—	—	D
74	Manhattanville College Purchase, NY	$46,500	$44,258	$26,779	$27,000	C+
75	Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA	$46,374	$53,681	—	$27,000	B
76	Capital University Columbus, OH	$46,135	$49,233	—	—	C+
77	Illinois College Jacksonville, IL	$45,716	$44,916	—	—	C
78	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	$45,378	$44,693	—	—	C
79	Hamline University Saint Paul, MN	$45,253	$43,226	$20,059	$25,000	C+
80	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	$44,260	$45,478	$26,715	$20,850	B
81	Chapman University Orange, CA	$44,183	$40,204	$23,939	—	B+
82	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	$44,004	$43,234	$24,225	$20,175	A+
83	Roanoke College Salem, VA	$43,974	$40,042	$19,925	—	C
84	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	$43,689	$46,065	$31,239	$13,999	A+
85	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	$43,647	$46,839	—	—	B
86	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	$43,607	$44,349	$37,446	$26,000	C+
87	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	$43,552	$45,921	$31,016	$24,250	B
88	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH	$43,031	$45,921	$31,763	$23,085	F
89	Lipscomb University Nashville, TN	$42,863	$46,823	$26,994	$17,625	B
90	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	$42,806	$40,742	$28,442	—	A+
91	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY	$42,372	$40,329	$16,556	$22,846	F
92	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	$42,232	$38,428	$20,726	$16,254	C
93	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	$41,971	$38,604	$27,832	$20,036	C+
94	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK	$41,870	$47,010	$25,268	$18,750	C
95	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	$41,637	$37,887	$26,636	$19,131	A+
96	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	$41,123	$37,419	$21,854	$15,000	B
97	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	$41,105	$37,403	$34,309	$15,750	F
98	Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA	$40,989	$41,686	$19,753	$27,000	B
99	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	$40,929	$43,155	—	—	C
100	SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY	$40,814	$38,846	—	—	C
101	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	$40,792	$43,010	$21,468	$24,007	C+
102	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY	$40,579	$38,623	$28,103	$25,000	C
103	Taylor University Upland, IN	$40,573	$43,527	$25,471	$18,521	B
109	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	B
108	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	C+
107	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	C
106	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	B
105	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	B
104	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	$40,479	$43,197	$23,399	$25,500	C
110	University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME	$40,081	$42,596	—	—	D
111	Truman State University Kirksville, MO	$40,026	$42,916	$16,569	$26,000	B
112	Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI	$39,982	$42,156	$21,696	$23,287	D
113	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	$39,966	$36,813	$30,077	$23,583	C
114	Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY	$39,915	$37,991	$18,842	$24,500	C
115	CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY	$39,837	$37,917	$20,242	—	C+
116	Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL	$39,751	$39,055	$25,060	$27,000	F
117	Beloit College Beloit, WI	$39,702	$41,312	$21,720	$26,000	C+
118	University of Houston Houston, TX	$39,645	$40,307	—	—	B+
119	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM	$39,479	$45,710	—	—	F
120	Aquinas College Grand Rapids, MI	$39,465	$41,611	$17,827	$22,964	C
121	Knox College Galesburg, IL	$38,967	$38,285	$15,466	$26,394	C+
122	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	$38,871	$35,753	$22,251	$26,998	B+
123	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	$38,822	$43,958	—	—	B+
124	SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY	$38,562	$36,703	$20,455	$27,000	F
125	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	$38,460	$35,375	$27,116	$17,604	C+
126	University of Evansville Evansville, IN	$38,198	$40,979	—	—	C+
127	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	$37,986	$39,260	$26,360	$24,482	C
128	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	$37,968	$40,745	$24,205	$26,264	B
129	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	$35,583	$32,378	$21,765	$20,783	B+
131	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison, NJ	$35,169	$30,867	—	$26,000	C
130	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ	$35,169	$30,867	—	$26,000	C
132	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX	$34,743	$35,323	$25,292	$20,429	D
133	Augustana College Rock Island, IL	$33,950	$33,356	$19,775	—	B+
134	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI	$33,533	$35,357	$24,195	$26,125	C+
135	Full Sail University Winter Park, FL	$33,429	$35,581	$23,449	$34,544	D
136	Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI	$32,843	$34,629	$26,637	—	B+
137	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR	$32,267	$38,024	$27,366	$24,995	C

Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.

What Can You Do With a Creative Writing Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Postsecondary teachers, all other

$78,490 +1.8% growth

View Career →

English language and literature teachers, postsecondary

$78,270 +0.0% growth

View Career →

Editors

$75,260 +0.6% growth

View Career →

Writers and authors

$72,270 +3.6% growth

View Career →

$76,073

Average Salary Across Careers

$78,490

Highest Paying Career

Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Creative Writing

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in creative writing.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor, MI	39	A+
2	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York, NY	165	A
3	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	90	A
4	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	84	A
5	New York University	New York, NY	82	A
6	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	76	A
7	Brown University	Providence, RI	51	A
8	University of Southern California	Los Angeles, CA	40	A
9	University of Chicago	Chicago, IL	38	A
10	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	35	A
11	Emory University	Atlanta, GA	32	A
12	Washington University in St Louis	Saint Louis, MO	29	A
13	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	98	B+
14	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Seattle, WA	46	B+
15	Binghamton University	Vestal, NY	36	B+
16	Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	30	B+
17	Purdue University-Main Campus	West Lafayette, IN	26	B+
18	Emerson College	Boston, MA	228	B
19	Western Washington University	Bellingham, WA	129	B
20	University of California-Riverside	Riverside, CA	102	B
21	The New School	New York, NY	83	B
22	University of North Carolina Wilmington	Wilmington, NC	66	B
23	University of Iowa	Iowa City, IA	53	B
24	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	50	B
25	Oregon State University	Corvallis, OR	49	B
26	University of Denver	Denver, CO	48	B
27	Chapman University	Orange, CA	47	B
28	Oberlin College	Oberlin, OH	38	B
29	CUNY Brooklyn College	Brooklyn, NY	37	B
30	Portland State University	Portland, OR	35	B

Largest Creative Writing Programs

Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most creative writing graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	Southern New Hampshire University	Manchester, NH	785	C
2	Liberty University	Lynchburg, VA	289	C+
3	Emerson College	Boston, MA	228	B
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York, NY	165	A
5	Western Washington University	Bellingham, WA	129	B
6	University of California-Riverside	Riverside, CA	102	B
7	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	98	B+
8	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	90	A
9	Vermont College of Fine Arts	Montpelier, VT	86	D
10	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	84	A
11	The New School	New York, NY	83	B
12	New York University	New York, NY	82	A
13	Lindenwood University	Saint Charles, MO	81	C+
14	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	76	A
15	San Francisco State University	San Francisco, CA	68	C+
16	University of North Carolina Wilmington	Wilmington, NC	66	B
17	Wilkes University	Wilkes-Barre, PA	65	C
18	Queens University of Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	57	C+
19	University of Iowa	Iowa City, IA	53	B
20	Columbia College Chicago	Chicago, IL	52	C
21	Brown University	Providence, RI	51	A
22	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	50	B
23	The University of Texas at El Paso	El Paso, TX	50	C+
24	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Cincinnati, OH	50	C+
25	Oregon State University	Corvallis, OR	49	B
26	Sarah Lawrence College	Bronxville, NY	49	C+
27	University of Denver	Denver, CO	48	B
28	Chapman University	Orange, CA	47	B
29	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Seattle, WA	46	B+
30	Central Washington University	Ellensburg, WA	45	C+

7,423

Degrees Awarded Annually

441

Colleges Offering Program

Related Careers

About Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a degree program offered at 441 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 7,423 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as postsecondary teachers, all other, english language and literature teachers, postsecondary, editors, writers and authors.

Program Classification

CIP Code 23.1302

Field (2-digit CIP) 23

Category (4-digit CIP) 23.13

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Creative Writing degree?

A Creative Writing degree can lead to careers as a postsecondary teachers, all other, english language and literature teachers, postsecondary, editors, writers and authors, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $78,490 annually.

How many colleges offer Creative Writing?

441 colleges and universities in the United States offer Creative Writing as a degree program. Each year, approximately 7,423 students graduate with this degree.

What are the best colleges for Creative Writing?

The best colleges for Creative Writing based on Repit's ratings include University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Columbia University in the City of New York, The University of Texas at Austin, Johns Hopkins University, New York University. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.

What is the salary potential with a Creative Writing degree?

Graduates with a Creative Writing degree can expect average salaries around $76,073 in related careers, with top earners making up to $78,490. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.

Creative Writing

Creative Writing Salary by College

What Can You Do With a Creative Writing Degree?

Postsecondary teachers, all other

English language and literature teachers, postsecondary

Editors

Writers and authors

Best Colleges for Creative Writing

Largest Creative Writing Programs

About Creative Writing

Program Classification

Frequently Asked Questions

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