QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE, NC
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, YA, and Stage & Screen.
💡 The campus is located in the historic Myers Park neighborhood, known for its canopy of century-old willow oaks.
FUNDING: MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY (NEWARK)
NEWARK, NJ
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Consistently ranked as one of the most diverse campuses in the U.S.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY (CAMDEN)
CAMDEN, NJ
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 In 1933, Richard Hollingshead opened the first Drive-In Movie Theater on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA
MORAGA, CA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 In the early 1900s, Moraga was an important stop on the Sacramento Northern Railway.
FUNDING: MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN DIEGO, CA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Old Town San Diego is the site of the first permanent European settlement in California.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN JOSE, CA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, and Screenwriting.
💡 This college publishes Reed Magazine, established in 1867, making it the oldest student-run literary journal west of the Mississippi.
FUNDING: FELLOWSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE
BRONXVILLE, NY
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, and Speculative Fiction.
💡 In the early 20th century, Bronxville was part of a dairy route.
FUNDING: MERIT FELLOWSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
SAVANNAH, GA / ATLANTA, GA
Specializations: Fiction, CNF, Screenwriting, and Business Writing.
💡 The Girl Scouts was founded in Savannah by Juliette Gordon Low.
FUNDING: MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL/ONLINE
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS U. CARBONDALE
CARBONDALE, IL
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 For decades, SIU was well known for a Halloween street party.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE
PORTLAND / FREEPORT, ME
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, and Popular Fiction (Genre).
💡 One of Freeport's oldest historic markers is the Witch-Trot Road.
FUNDING: SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
NEW HAVEN, CT
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The Hamburger Sandwich was invented here in New Haven.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
SYRACUSE, NY
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The university's Hall of Languages was the architectural inspiration for the "Addams Family" house design.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Founded in 1413, it is the oldest university in Scotland.
FUNDING: INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MLITT
RESIDENCY: FULL
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The "Mutter Museum" of Philadelphia is a world-famous hub of medical history that has inspired countless writers of the gothic and strange.
FUNDING: TA POSITIONS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE
KNOXVILLE, TN
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Knoxville is the "Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains," with the national park located just 45 minutes from campus.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN MARCOS, TX
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The San Marcos River flows directly through the campus and stays a constant 72°F year-round.
FUNDING: STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UT AUSTIN (New Writers Project)
AUSTIN, TX
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Austin has the largest urban bat colony in North America.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
LUBBOCK, TX
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Lubbock has some of the most dramatic sunset horizons in the American West.
FUNDING: STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UT AUSTIN (Michener Center)
AUSTIN, TX
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting, and Playwriting.
💡 Unlike larger breakfast burritos, the Austin-style breakfast taco emphasizes portability and fresh flour tortillas.
FUNDING: STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Located in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, Utah is one of the few programs to offer a "Modular Book Arts" concentration.
FUNDING: TA POSITIONS
DEGREE: MFA/PHD
RESIDENCY: FULL
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
NASHVILLE, TN
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Known as the "Harvard of the South," this campus is a designated arboretum with over 6,000 trees.
FUNDING: $36,500 STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The University of Virginia was originally designed as an "Academical Village," where students and faculty lived in shared pavilions around a central lawn.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
VIRGINIA TECH
BLACKSBURG, VA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Blacksburg began as part of the Draper’s Meadow settlement.
FUNDING: TA POSITIONS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
SWANNANOA, NC
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Founded in 1976, Warren Wilson was the first low-residency MFA program in the U.S.
FUNDING: NEED/MERIT GRANTS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS, MO
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 The brewing industry in St. Louis was revolutionized when Adolphus Busch pioneered the use of refrigerated railroad cars.
FUNDING: STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
MORGANTOWN, WV
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Completed in 1876, Woodburn Hall is a centerpiece of the university's Downtown Campus.
FUNDING: TA POSITIONS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
KALAMAZOO, MI
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, and Playwriting.
💡 Kalamazoo was the original home of Gibson Guitars.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
LAST UPDATED: MAY 13, 2026
BACK TO HOME | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
SEARCH 100+ CREATIVE WRITING DEGREES & PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. INCLUDES MFA PROGRAMS, MA WITH EMPHASIS IN CREATIVE WRITING, AND PHD TRACKS. EXPLORE DIFFERENT RESIDENCY OPTIONS, FUNDING AVAILABILITIES, AND GENRE SPECIALIZATIONS.
Listings are for informational purposes and updated regularly. Inclusion does not imply endorsement or partnership. We do not accept or seek monetary payment from individuals in exchange for listings, sponsorship from corporations or other entities, 'partnership fees,' 'partnership' labels, or 'partnership' agreements from academic programs, private businesses, or individuals. We do not accept any form of paid advertisements or private, non-monetary agreements.