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2023 Best Value Colleges for Creative Writing (Income $0-$30k)

212 Ranked Colleges
6,817 Degrees Awarded
$5,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Creative Writing is the 120th most popular major in the country with 6,817 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 212 colleges that offer a degree in creative writing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent creative writing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the creative writing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Creative Writing Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Creative Writing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The creative writing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Creative Writing (Income $0-$30k)

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 212 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #1 spot on the list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins University Creative Writing Report

2
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Brown

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 212 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,500 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Creative Writing Report

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Northwestern University

5

Out of the 212 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at U-M

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,564 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard Creative Writing Report

7
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 6 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also claimed a top spot on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. It costs about $3,176 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Vanderbilt Creative Writing Report

8

Washington University in St Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Creative Writing at Washington University in St Louis

9
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Creative Writing Report

10

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 134 students in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Columbia University in the City of New York

11

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #10 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,456 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Creative Writing at UMN Twin Cities

14

The City College of New York landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The City College of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $1,254 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at The City College of New York

15
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 12 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Wellesley also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $9,674 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Wellesley College

16
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 12 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Creative Writing at University of Florida

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Creative Writing at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

18

Iowa State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $9,766 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Creative Writing at Iowa State

19
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Brooklyn College

20

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at UW - Madison

21
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,283 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Creative Writing at NC State

22
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

Oberlin also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $8,756 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Oberlin

23
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,244 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Cornell

24
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Notre Dame

25
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Hamilton excels when it comes to creative writing quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Creative Writing Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hamilton is $8,810 for Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Hamilton Creative Writing Report

25
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also took the #15 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $8,538 for creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Emory Creative Writing Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Creative Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
28
29
30
31
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
32

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