<p>English is a strong program nearly everywhere. There are so many English Ph.D.s on the job market that most any program can staff with high quality. Look for programs that actually have a creative writing concentration; not all do. Programs in an urban area are more likely, in my uninformed opinion, to have a stronger art scene. Rhodes, for instance, is in Memphis and has a center for outreach and development in the arts, and strong connections to the theatre scene and the urban art commission.</p>