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Creative WritingPrograms

Creative Nonfiction Programs: Creative Writing Degrees

Creative writing degrees whose official pages name creative nonfiction as a genre or track. Memoir, the personal essay, literary journalism and other factual narrative. We never assign a genre a program does not name.

84 programs · page 3 of 5

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Listed alphabetically by school. This directory is not a ranking — editorial selections are published separately under Rankings. What we list

Saint Mary's College of California logo

Saint Mary's College of California

Creative Writing, BA

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Moraga, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $61,416 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate full-time rate (12–18 units per semester), non-BSN · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
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Saint Mary's College of California logo

Saint Mary's College of California

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Moraga, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Creative Nonfiction · Fiction · Poetry
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $34,056 per academic year · All students — MFA in Creative Writing, yearly tuition (locked for two years) · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 8, 2027 · Fall 2027
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San Francisco State University logo

San Francisco State University

B.A. in Creative Writing

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $3,419 per semester · In-state — Undergraduate, 6.1+ units (full time), tuition only, per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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San Francisco State University logo

San Francisco State University

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time
Genres: Creative Nonfiction · Fiction · Playwriting · Poetry · Literary Translation
Duration: About three years full time; up to seven years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $4,274 per semester · In-state — Graduate, 6.1+ units (full time), tuition only, per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Sarah Lawrence College logo

Sarah Lawrence College

Master of Fine Arts in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Bronxville, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Two years full-time; three years or more part-time
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $38,716 per academic year · All students — Full-time · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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School of the Art Institute of Chicago logo

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Master of Fine Arts in Writing (MFAW)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,066 per credit · All students — Graduate, per credit hour · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Spalding University logo

Spalding University

Master of Fine Arts in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Louisville, KY
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them. · Flexible pace
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Screenwriting · Playwriting
Duration: Two years on the standard schedule; four years on the extended schedule (four semesters plus a graduation residency)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $650 per credit · All students — Graduate, Writing (MFA) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs
Stony Brook University logo

Stony Brook University

BFA in Creative Writing

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Stony Brook University logo

Stony Brook University

MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literature

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Competitive full funding$30,000 stipend (academic year)
Tuition: $471 per credit · In-state · Fall 2023
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Syracuse University logo

Syracuse University

Creative Writing, BA

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Syracuse, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $69,180 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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The New School

Creative Writing (MFA)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: New York, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,062 per credit · Continuing students who enrolled before fall 2025, per credit · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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The University of Alabama logo

The University of Alabama

MFA Program in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Three years, with an optional fourth year
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$18,090 stipend (nine months)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: December 31, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
The University of Montana logo

The University of Montana

Creative Writing B.F.A.

BFABachelor of Fine Arts - Creative Writing
Location: Missoula, MT
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Four-year plan of study
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $4,875 per semester · In-state — Undergraduate, in-state, tuition and mandatory fees, 12 or more credits · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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The University of Montana logo

The University of Montana

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Creative Writing
Location: Missoula, MT
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Two years (three years part-time)
Funding: Competitive full funding
Tuition: $5,607 per semester · In-state — Graduate School, in-state, tuition and mandatory fees, 12 or more credits · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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The University of Texas at El Paso

BA in Creative Writing

BABA in Creative Writing
Location: El Paso, TX
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Screenwriting · Literary Translation
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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The University of Texas at El Paso

Residential Bilingual M.F.A. in Creative Writing

MFAM.F.A. in Creative Writing
Location: El Paso, TX
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Literary Translation · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding$12,000 stipend (per year (about $1,200 per month, October to June))
Tuition: $3,300 per semester · Approximate tuition per semester for 9 hours (residency status not stated)
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Arizona logo

University of Arizona

B.A. in Creative Writing

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Tucson, AZ
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $13,900 per academic year · In-state — Incoming first-year and transfer, Arizona resident, estimated tuition and fees · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Arizona logo

University of Arizona

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Tucson, AZ
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Three years in residence
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)$22,500 stipend (academic year (2025-2026 figure, 'about'))
Tuition: $15,700 per academic year · In-state — Graduate main campus, Arizona resident, estimated tuition and fees (six-unit semester rate) · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 14, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

Creative Writing Major (B.A.)

BAB.A. degree in Creative Writing
Location: Riverside, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $6,540.93 per term · In-state — Undergraduate, CA resident, total quarterly fees (2026-2027 first enrolled) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

MFAMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
Location: Riverside, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Screenwriting · Playwriting
Duration: Six quarters, typically two academic years
Funding: Competitive full funding$5,568 stipend (year (base first-year stipend printed for Fall 2022 entry))
Tuition: $7,413.12 per term · In-state — Graduate, CA resident, total quarterly fees · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 5, 2027 · Fall 2027
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