Key Takeaways
- Earning a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program will allow you to develop your skills, receive feedback, deepen your knowledge, build a community, and even gain teaching experience.
- There are four types of MFA programs you’ll come across when researching schools: fully funded (meaning you don’t pay anything), full-time (where you’ll attend as a full-time student), low-residency (where you’ll complete most of your work independently and only attend a few lectures and workshops), and online (where you’ll attend school entirely online).
- If you are considering getting your MFA in Creative Writing, check out the 20 schools below.
Creative writing programs study a variety of literary works and genres.
Imagine attending school with a structured environment designed to further develop your craft of writing. We’re talking about dedicated time just for writing, reflection, and improvement. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s not just a dream—it’s actually a program called a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. If you have a passion for creative writing, getting your MFA might be the path for you. To help you get started on your search, we’ve rounded up 20 of the best creative writing MFA programs.
But First, What Is a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Degree?
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree is a graduate program for any student wishing to further develop a creative talent. MFA majors include creative writing, filmmaking, photography, painting, acting, dancing, theater, screenwriting, and graphic design. During the duration of your program, you’ll spend the majority of your time practicing and sharpening your skills in your chosen field. Most MFA programs typically take between two and three years to complete.
The Benefits of Getting an MFA in Creative Writing
Is an MFA in Creative Writing worth it? If any of these benefits excite you, then the answer just might be yes:
- Develop Your Skills: You’ll focus on specific genres, techniques, styles, and aspects of writing to help refine your skills throughout your program.
- Receive Constructive Feedback: You’ll attend many writing workshops where you will receive feedback on your work from peers and professors.
- Deepen Your Knowledge: Apart from writing, you’ll also study a variety of literary works to help expand your knowledge of other genres, cultures, and time periods.
- Build a Community: Most MFA creative writing programs only admit a limited number of students every year, allowing you to establish lasting relationships with your peers and professors.
- Gain Teaching Experience: Many MFA programs have their graduate students teach undergraduate classes or lead writing workshops. If you hope to teach in higher education, this could be a great experience.
Types of MFA Programs
There are four different types of MFA creative writing programs you’ll find:
- Fully Funded: These programs offer the best of both worlds. Not only do you get to pursue your degree, but your tuition is also covered! Many programs also offer an additional stipend.
- Full-Time: This refers to traditional, in-person classes that last two to three years. You’ll likely need to live on campus or nearby to have the full experience.
- Low-Residency: These types of programs allow you to complete the majority of your work independently. You will be required to attend brief, in-person lectures or workshops throughout the year. This is a great option for anyone who cannot commit to a full-time program.
- Online: These programs are 100% virtual and offer the most flexibility. This could be a great option for anyone who is self-motivated or has other commitments.
The Top 20 MFA in Creative Writing Programs
The following MFA creative writing programs have been selected based on their generous funding opportunities, accomplished faculty, intimate class sizes, and unique approaches to creative development.
1. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- Location: Iowa City, Iowa
- General Acceptance Rate: 85%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 2.5%
- Enrollment Number: 50 (25 per genre)
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Flannery O’Connor, Raymond Carver, Sandra Cisneros
The University of Iowa is home to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop—the first creative writing degree program in the U.S. Not to mention, 30 alumni have won Pulitzer Prizes. This program is fully funded and requires students to live full-time in Iowa City so that they can be fully immersed in everything the program offers.
2. JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- General Acceptance Rate: 8%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 4-8%
- Enrollment Number: 8 (4 per genre)
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Chimamanda Adichie, Jeffrey Blitz, Wes Craven
This two-year creative writing program is available to those pursuing fiction and poetry. It is fully funded and comes with a generous stipend—and health insurance! Students benefit from mentorship with well-known faculty, a strong literary community, and rigorous training that helps push their writing to the highest level.
3. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- Location: Austin, Texas
- General Acceptance Rate: 29%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Less than 1%
- Enrollment Number: 12
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Brian McGreevy, Fiona McFarlane, Karan Mahajan
The Michener Center for Writers is a fully funded, three-year program that offers multidisciplinary focuses. While writers choose a primary genre (fiction, poetry, playwriting, or screenwriting) to focus on, they will also study a secondary genre. Only 12 writers are selected each year so that they can receive close guidance and support from the faculty.
4. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
- General Acceptance Rate: 17%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 1%
- Enrollment Number: 8 (4 per genre)
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Chad Harbach, Claudia Emerson, Eleanor Henderson
This is a full-time program, and residency is required for all years. Four poets and four fiction writers are admitted each year. Classes are small, and all students receive the same amount of funding. After the first semester, students will teach creative writing classes in fiction and poetry.
5. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- General Acceptance Rate: 18%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 2%
- Enrollment Number: 18
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Celeste Ng, Chigozie Obioma, Jia Tolentino
The University of Michigan offers the Helen Zell Writers’ Program to students looking to pursue fiction or poetry. It is a two-year, fully funded program and only accepts students who have a strong background in literature.
6. BROWN UNIVERSITY
- Location: Providence, Rhode Island
- General Acceptance Rate: 5%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: “Highly Selective”
- Enrollment Number: 12
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Digital/Cross-Disciplinary
- Notable Alumni: Edwidge Danticat, Gayl Jones, Jaimy Gordon
Brown offers MFA degrees in Fiction, Poetry, or Digital/Cross-Disciplinary Writing. It is a fully funded, two-year program, and students will receive a stipend of $37,925. Admission is highly selective, and applicants will need to submit a writing sample to be reviewed.
7. NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- Location: New York, New York
- General Acceptance Rate: 9%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 6-9%
- Enrollment Number: 50-60
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Aracelis Girmay, Nell Freudenberger, Nick Flynn
Imagine spending each day writing in a historic townhouse in Greenwich Village, surrounded by fellow writers. That’s exactly what the students who are accepted to NYU’s Creative Writing Program do every day. This program occupies a townhouse on West 10th Street in NYC to give its writers an inspiring setting. This program offers an MFA in Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction.
8. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
- Location: New York, New York
- General Acceptance Rate: 4.63%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Undisclosed
- Enrollment Number: 110
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Alexandra Kleeman, Claudia Rankine, Rachel Kushner
Columbia’s Writing MFA Program is well known for its incredible academic resources and faculty that is made up of acclaimed writers and editors. Plus, there’s the bonus of being right in the heart of NYC—which is known for its publishing companies and culture of literature. Students can choose to focus on fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
9. VERMONT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
- Location: Montpelier, Vermont
- General Acceptance Rate: Undisclosed
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 63%
- Enrollment Number: 25-30 each semester
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Bridget Birdsall, Gwenda Bond, Julie Berry
Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing offers a low-residency program with concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and literary translation. This program has a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio so that students receive personalized guidance every step of the way.
10. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- Location: Irvine, California
- General Acceptance Rate: 26%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Undisclosed
- Enrollment Number: 12
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Alice Sebold, David Benioff, Michael Chabon
This creative writing program is one of the most competitive programs in the country, only admitting 12 students each year. This way, students receive one-on-one attention from professors and mentors. Students who are accepted will receive full funding for three years.
11. BOSTON UNIVERSITY
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- General Acceptance Rate: 11%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Less than 1%
- Enrollment Number: 18
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Arthur Golden, Elizabeth Alexandra, Jhumpa Lahiri
Ranked among the top 5% of creative writing programs, the Boston University Creative Writing Program is one of the most prestigious in the country. This accelerated program accomplishes what other two-year programs do in just a single year. It is fast-paced and demanding, so students should be determined and highly motivated.
12. CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- Location: Ithaca, New York
- General Acceptance Rate: 8%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 2%
- Enrollment Number: 8 (4 per genre)
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: A.R. Ammons, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Thomas Pynchon
Cornell’s writing program is highly selective, admitting only four students in fiction and four students in poetry each year. Every student receives two years of full funding, which includes a stipend and health insurance. In the first year, students will work as editorial assistants before becoming instructors in Cornell’s First-Year Writing Program in their second year.
13. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST
- Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
- General Acceptance Rate: 58%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: “Highly Selective”
- Enrollment Number: 20
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Brett Lott, Natasha Trethewey, Paul Harding
This is a great three-year creative writing program for anyone looking to complete their manuscript in prose or poetry. Students will complete 60 hours of coursework and work closely with the faculty to work on and complete their book.
14. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- Location: Madison, Wisconsin
- General Acceptance Rate: 44%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Undisclosed
- Enrollment Number: 6
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Danez Smith, Ladee Hubbard, Lorrie Moore
Madison’s MFA program admits only six students each year in only one genre (fiction one year, poetry the next). This means each class gets the undivided attention of their professors in their genre during their program length. All accepted students receive full funding and health insurance, and they get the opportunity to teach an undergraduate course (ENGL 207: Intro to Creative Writing).
15. UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
- Location: Henniker, New Hampshire
- General Acceptance Rate: 89%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 20%
- Enrollment Number: 15-20
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Stage/Screen, Cross-Genre
- Notable Alumni: Dashaun Washington, Natasha Trethewey, Sarah Ghazal Ali
Students earning their MFA degree at NEC can choose to concentrate on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or writing for stage and screen. Each area of study requires a book-length thesis at the end of the program. This is a low-residency program, so the majority of the year is online, with two on-campus residencies per year to connect with faculty and peers.
16. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- Location: Tucson, Arizona
- General Acceptance Rate: 86%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 1.2%
- Enrollment Number: 7
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Richard Russo, Richard Siken
Located in the lushest desert in the world, this writing program is highly ranked, encourages cross-genre exploration, and provides full funding for up to three years for MFA graduates. One especially unique perk? Students have the opportunity to gain experience in publishing by working on famous literary magazines and websites.
17. SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE
- Location: Bronxville, New York
- General Acceptance Rate: 59%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Undisclosed
- Enrollment Number: 40-50
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction
- Notable Alumni: Cynthia Cruz, Melissa Febos, T Kira Madden
Sarah Lawrence’s MFA program is nationally recognized—and for good reason. Every other week, students have one-on-one meetings with a professor to receive feedback and guidance on their work. Classes are small and discussion-based and being so close to New York City means plenty of access to its literary resources. They offer MFAs in Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Speculative Fiction.
18. BENNINGTON COLLEGE
- Location: Bennington, Vermont
- General Acceptance Rate: 48%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Enrollment Number: 30-35 each semester
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, or Dual-Genre
- Notable Alumni: Andrew Reiner, Larissa Pham, Lisa Johnson Mitchell
This two-year, low-residency program offers an MFA in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Dual-Genre. While most work will be completed independently, students are required to attend two 10-day residency periods a year. These 10 days give students and faculty a chance to connect, enjoy meals together, and engage in lectures, craft sessions, and workshops together.
19. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
- Location: Corvallis, Oregon
- General Acceptance Rate: 79%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: 3.76%
- Enrollment Number: 10-14
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
- Notable Alumni: Claire Vaye Watkins, John Lariso, Marjorie Sandor
OSU offers MFAs in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction. The program offers full funding and a generous stipend of $16,000 to cover living expenses throughout the year. With small classes of just 10-12 students, students get plenty of one-on-one time with faculty who have published more than 40 acclaimed books.
20. VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- General Acceptance Rate: 6%
- MFA Acceptance Rate: Less than 1%
- Enrollment Number: 6
- Genres: Fiction, Poetry
- Notable Alumni: Claire Jiménez, Matthew Baker, Tiana Clark
Students in Vanderbilt’s creative writing program can choose to concentrate on prose fiction or poetry. The program is fully funded and accepts 18 students each year. With their earned degree, students will also be equipped to teach creative writing at a university level.
Are Creative Writing Programs Worth It?
Well, this all depends! If you’re looking to refine your craft, build a close writing community, and have dedicated time to focus only on your writing, then an MFA in Creative Writing might be exactly what you need. While it is not a required path to become a writer, it is a deeply rewarding one.
Curious where a creative writing degree can take you? See what careers align with your strengths using College Raptor’s Career Finder and see where your words can take you.
