vlv92

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.

hawkphoenix

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.

khsstitches

"Best" is a very subjective term, but in addition to the Ivies I would suggest Hampshire, Champlain, BU.

Weskid

JHU also has a very impressive and well-known program.

teenage_cliche

I second JHU and Kenyon. On a less selective level, Knox.

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).

collegehelp

Creative writing

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


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

whitesox24

I've always heard that Iowa and Knox are good for creative writing.

Phead128

University of Iowa I think is rolling out an undergraduate degree in Creative writing.

Johns Hopkins is very fine in that area, as well as in English as well.

University of Houston, UC Irvine, UMich, Columbia, NYU to name a few.

faransaa

Bard
Barnard
Bennington
Brown
Goucher
Hampshire
Kenyon
Oberlin
Sarah Lawrence
Skidmore
Vassar
Wesleyan

Of these, which are the best colleges for creative writing/English in general?

1980collegegrad

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.

miawrites

I want to major in Creative Writing too... I did so much research on this...

So, definitely Kenyon. They've got the Kenyon review and everything...

Hamilton has a whole mission about teaching its students to write and to speak well.

Middlebury's got the Breadloaf Writing Center.

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...

U. Iowa is really great. And Stanford has a two year fellowship, the Stegner Program.

Additionally, Amherst, Oberlin, Vassar, Bard, St. Lawrence...

1980collegegrad

Obama's Chief Speechwriter is Holy Cross class of 2003. Now that is some creative writing....

robertsont06

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)

Definitely make sure to look at the financial aid packages they offer. You should never pay to get a degree in Creative writing.

ginab591

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.

Alexandre

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.

1. University of Iowa 4.5
2. John Hopkins University 4.2
2. University of Houston 4.2
4. Columbia University 4.1
4. University of Virginia 4.1
6. New York University 4.0
6. University of California-Irvine 4.0
6. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 4.0
9. University of Arizona 3.9
10. Boston University 3.8
10. Cornell University 3.8
12. University of Massachusetts-Amherst 3.8
12. University of Montana 3.8
12. University of Washington 3.8
12. Washington University-St Louis 3.8
16. Brown University 3.7
16. Indiana University-Bloomington 3.7
16. University of Arkansas 3.7
16. University of Utah 3.7
20. Arizona State University 3.6

There are also many excellent LACs, such as Kenyon College, Midlebury College and several others.