<p>I trhink I might want to be a fiction writer. What is the best college for creative writing? The difficulty of entrance is not relevant.</p>
<p>To be very general, all the Ivies have strong writing/English programs. You will find very strong creative writing programs at small liberal arts colleges like Amherst, Williams, etc. In my opinion, Kenyon is the best college for creative writing.</p>
<p>"Best" is a very subjective term, but in addition to the Ivies I would suggest Hampshire, Champlain, BU.</p>
<p>JHU also has a very impressive and well-known program.</p>
<p>I second JHU and Kenyon. On a less selective level, Knox.</p>
<p>However, to get a better feel for each school, go on its website and look at the Creative Writing courses offered. For some schools, Creative Writing is a minor taken as part of an English major; at some schools, it's a major all its own. And some schools just have poetry and fiction while others have many more types of creative writing (i.e. playwriting, creative non-fiction).</p>
<p>Creative writing</p>
<p>in addition, from Rugg's Recommendations:
Bard
Middlebury
Beloit
Barnard
Bennington
Brown
Carnegie Mellon
Columbia
Creighton
Denison
Eckerd
Emerson
Fla St
Grinnell
Hamilton
Hobart
U Iowa
John's Hopkins
Kenyon
U of Michigan
SUNY New Paltz
NC State
Northwestern
Oberlin
U Oregon
U Pitt
Redlands
San Fran St
Sarah Lawrence
Susquehanna
Sweet Briar
Temple
UVA
Wheaton (MA)
Wittenberg</p>
<p>School U. S. and World Report Ranking for graduate creative writing programs
1. University of Iowa 4.5
2. John Hopkins University (MD) 4.2
3. University of Houston (TX) 4.2
4. Columbia University (NY) 4.1
5. University of Virginia 4.1
6. New York University 4.0
7. University of California, Irvine (CA) 4.0
8. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (MI) 4.0
9. University of Arizona 3.9
10. Boston University 3.8
11. Cornell University 3.8
12. University of Massachusetts, Amherst (MA) 3.8
13. University of Montana (MT) 3.8
14. University of Washington 3.8
15. Washington University (MO) 3.8
16. Brown University (RI) 3.7
17. Indiana University, Bloomington (IN) 3.7
18. University of Arkansas (AR) 3.7
19. University of Utah 3.7
20. Arizona State University 3.6
21. Emerson College (MA) 3.6
22. George Mason University (VA) 3.6
23. Hollins College (VA) 3.6
24. Sarah Lawrence College (NY) 3.6
25. Syracuse University (NY) 3.6
26. University of Florida 3.6
27. University of Maryland, College Park (MD) 3.6
28. University of Pittsburgh 3.6
29. Warren Wilson College (NC) 3.6
30. University of California, Davis (CA) 3.5
31. University of Southern Mississippi (MS) 3.5
32. University of Texas, Austin (TX) 3.5
33. Iowa State University 3.4
34. University of Missouri, Columbia (MO) 3.4
35. University of Oregon 3.4
36. University of Southern California (CA) 3.4
37. Bennington College (CT) 3.3
38. CUNY--City College of New York (NY) 3.3
39. Florida State University 3.3
40. Ohio University 3.3
41. Ohio State University 3.3
42. Penn State University, University Park (PA) 3.3
43. University of Alabama (AL) 3.3
44. University of Denver (CO) 3.3
45. University of North Carolina, Greensboro (NC) 3.3
46. San Francisco State University 3.2
47. University of Cincinnati 3.2
48. University of New Hampshire 3.2
49. Western Michigan University (MI) 3.2
50. American University (DC) 3.1
51. Colorado State University (CO) 3.1
52. Eastern Washington University 3.1
53. Georgia State University 3.1
54. New Mexico State University (NM) 3.1
55. Saint Mary's College of California 3.1
56. San Diego State University 3.1
57. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (IL) 3.1
58. Temple University (PA) 3.1
59. University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) 3.1
60. Virginia Commonwealth University 3.1
61. Wichita State University (KS) 3.1
62. Brooklyn College (NY) 3.0
63. California State University, Fresno (CA) 3.0
64. Mills College (CA) 3.0
65. SUNY, Albany 3.0
66. University of Georgia 3.0
67. University of Hawaii, Mano (HW) 3.0
68. University of Illinois, Urbana--Champaign (IL) 3.0
69. University of Minnesota (MN) 3.0
70. Vermont College of Norwich University (VT) 3.0
71. SUNY--Binghamton (NY) 3.0</p>
<p>I've always heard that Iowa and Knox are good for creative writing.</p>
<p>University of Iowa I think is rolling out an undergraduate degree in Creative writing.</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins is very fine in that area, as well as in English as well.</p>
<p>University of Houston, UC Irvine, UMich, Columbia, NYU to name a few.</p>
<p>Bard
Barnard
Bennington
Brown
Goucher
Hampshire
Kenyon
Oberlin
Sarah Lawrence
Skidmore
Vassar
Wesleyan</p>
<p>Of these, which are the best colleges for creative writing/English in general?</p>
<p>Hamilton is well know for it strong Creative Writing program. Only downside is that it is in upstate New York and very rural. Another one to look at with better location outside Boston is Holy Cross.</p>
<p>I want to major in Creative Writing too... I did so much research on this...</p>
<p>So, definitely Kenyon. They've got the Kenyon review and everything...</p>
<p>Hamilton has a whole mission about teaching its students to write and to speak well.</p>
<p>Middlebury's got the Breadloaf Writing Center.</p>
<p>I heard that Carnegie Mellon was good too, from a professor at Bucknell, but that's surprising... It's so big on technology. Although, it's one of the only schools that recquires you to submit a portfolio...</p>
<p>U. Iowa is really great. And Stanford has a two year fellowship, the Stegner Program. </p>
<p>Additionally, Amherst, Oberlin, Vassar, Bard, St. Lawrence...</p>
<p>Obama's Chief Speechwriter is Holy Cross class of 2003. Now that is some creative writing....</p>
<p>U of Houston (great fin aid)
U of Iowa (Amazing faculty and everything)
U of Wyoming (simply beautiful scenary)
BU (You’ll love Ha Jin)</p>
<p>Definitely make sure to look at the financial aid packages they offer. You should never pay to get a degree in Creative writing.</p>
<p>A degree in Creative writing will not help you at all in becoming a fiction writer. I doubt there is any job that you are qualified for with a creative writing major. I don’t think you’re even qualified to teach English.</p>
<p>Below are the top 20 graduate programs in Creative Writing according to the USNWR. This ranking is dated (late 1990s) but it those are among the better Creative Writing programs. </p>
<ol>
<li>University of Iowa 4.5 </li>
<li>John Hopkins University 4.2 </li>
<li>University of Houston 4.2 </li>
<li>Columbia University 4.1 </li>
<li>University of Virginia 4.1 </li>
<li>New York University 4.0 </li>
<li>University of California-Irvine 4.0 </li>
<li>University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 4.0 </li>
<li>University of Arizona 3.9 </li>
<li>Boston University 3.8 </li>
<li>Cornell University 3.8 </li>
<li>University of Massachusetts-Amherst 3.8 </li>
<li>University of Montana 3.8 </li>
<li>University of Washington 3.8 </li>
<li>Washington University-St Louis 3.8 </li>
<li>Brown University 3.7 </li>
<li>Indiana University-Bloomington 3.7 </li>
<li>University of Arkansas 3.7 </li>
<li>University of Utah 3.7 </li>
<li>Arizona State University 3.6</li>
</ol>
<p>There are also many excellent LACs, such as Kenyon College, Midlebury College and several others.</p>
<p>If you’re a woman, Hollins offers an extremely strong creative writing program. For for small liberal arts college, it boasts some heavy hitters in the fiction writing world, who are graduates of their program.</p>
<p>This seems like a really tuff one to define. I think when you get to a subject like Creative Writing, there are some many variables to measure the success of such a program. This is one of three areas that my daughter is very interested in studing next year when she starts college. She already has a very good grasp in this field, having been published in national writing periodicals for HS students.</p>
<p>One school that I have not seen mentioned in this tread yet is Coe College in Cedar Rapids Iowa. This doesnt completely surprise me as they seem to “fly under the radar” so to speak. It is small (1300) and they seem to have typical Midwestern humbleness about them. BEAUTIFUL campus, friendly faculty. </p>
<p>Even though I am only 3 hours away, they might not have popped up in our search if my cousin in Arizona had not been looking there a few years ago specifically for their Writing Program.</p>
<p>A few interesting things that stood out to me. The VAST majority of their English/Writing staff is from Iowa State (which ranks #1 in most poles on this sibject) and many have been through the Iowa Writers Workshop. The ones who did not go there are from schools listed in every ranking I have seen on this subject. I believe that the IRWS was found by a Coe Alumni also. They have VERY good conections if you are thinking of pursuing a Graduate Degree and are interested in the IRWS. The also have one of the largest Writing Centers in the county, and a couple of great nationally recognised literary publications that student can be involved with. They also have one of the strongest "writing across the ciriculum programs that I have seen.</p>
<p>Overall academically they are ranked #2 in Iowa (behind Grinnel) and in the top 100 nationally for LAC’s. There average student I believe has about a 25 ACT and 3.6-3.7 GPA. Average class size of about 20. We sat in on a Essay class of 6 and a Psych. class of about 20 when we visited. Also they have very good aid and are a FAFSA only school which is nice paper work wise. My daughter had a 28 ACT and 3.8 GPA and was offered about a 22K scholarship before loans to put our out of pocket cost at about 12K - cheaper than our big “State U”. </p>
<p>So…if your open to considering the Midwest, I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a small school and great writing (creative or otherwise) to check it out.</p>
<p>DJD</p>
<p>Coe is a great hidden gem. Was that 22k scholarship need-based or merit-based (or a mix of both)? I would also put in a caveat regarding Cedar Rapids–I have heard from local residents that the downtown area is still far from revitalized after the recent floods.</p>
<p>The scholarship was a combination of; 16K merit based on ACT/GPA, 1K extra for interview in English Dept., 5K “Need” based of FAFSA. She is also invited back to interview for a Fellowship in the Writing Center that would be worth about 1.5K if I remember right. </p>
<p>The 5K “need” is based on an EFC of about 12K. They also offered the standard Staford & Perkins (I think) loan options too. My understanding is that the “need” grant would be higher if our EFC was lower. The FinAId people were VERY willing to work with us on any special circumstances too, but also mentoned that part of the reason was because our D is in the upper ranks of their student profile.</p>
<p>If that is where she chooses (not sure yet) I am going to call to negotiate a little more as a big part of our income was a “one time event”. Our normal EFC would be about 6K. She (D) also likes UW Madison (many profs from IRWS too) and has not heard from Carleton, St. Olaf, or Macalster yet. How does UW Madison fit in with the others - Im not sure, but she really likes it and only 1 hour from home too :).</p>
<p>DJD</p>
<p>Am I the only one who feels that “creative” writing shouldn’t be something you learn in a classroom?</p>