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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 4 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

University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

MFAMFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
Location: Riverside, CA
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Poetry · Screenwriting
Duration: Seven quarters over two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $9,360 per term · All students — Per quarter; no additional fees for out-of-state students
Deadline: February 1, 2027 · Spring 2027
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs

University of Central Florida

Creative Writing MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Orlando, FL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: 2 years
Funding: Competitive full funding$10,000 stipend (nine-month academic year)
Tuition: $369.65 per credit · In-state — Graduate, Florida resident, tuition and fees per credit hour · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Creative Writing, BALAS

BABachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences, Major in Creative Writing
Location: Champaign, IL
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: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Iowa

Nonfiction Writing Program MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in English (nonfiction writing subprogram)
Location: Iowa City, IA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Most complete it in three years
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: December 14, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
University of Massachusetts-Amherst logo

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

MFA for Poets & Writers

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in English
Location: Amherst, MA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Three years
Funding: Competitive full funding$31,342.40 stipend (annual earnings from September 2026 ($29,556.40 for 2025-26))
Tuition: $8,083 per semester · In-state — Graduate, in-state, 9 credits (tuition) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities logo

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Three years
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$22,573 stipend (nine-month academic year (about $22,573 for 2025-26))
Tuition: $10,962 per semester · In-state — General graduate tuition, resident, full-time (6-14 credits) per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs

University of Mississippi

B.F.A. in Creative Writing

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: University, MS
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Screenwriting · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: 4 years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $428.25 per credit · In-state — Undergraduate, resident (base rate) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Nevada-Las Vegas logo

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Creative Writing
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Three years
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)$21,000 stipend (per year)
Tuition: $383.25 per credit · All students — Graduate courses (per credit, plus fees; nonresidents also pay a nonresident charge)
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
University of New Mexico logo

University of New Mexico

MFA Program in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Three years
Funding: Competitive full funding
Tuition: $352.78 per credit · In-state — Graduate, Main Campus, NM resident tuition, 1 to 11 hours (per hour) · Fall 2026
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of North Carolina Wilmington logo

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Creative Writing, MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Wilmington, NC
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Generally three years (6 semesters); must be completed within five years
Funding: Partial funding$19,000 stipend (annual ($1,900 per month, pre-tax, August-May))
Tuition: $2,881.50 per term · In-state — Graduate, main campus, residents of NC, 9+ credit hours (Fall/Spring term, tuition only) · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 15, 2027 · Fall 2027
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University of Notre Dame

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts (English - Creative Writing)
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Two years
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)
Tuition: $69,510 per academic year · All students — Graduate School tuition, including Health and Technology fees · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
University of Pittsburgh logo

University of Pittsburgh

Creative Writing Major

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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: $21,594 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania residents, full-time two terms · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Pittsburgh logo

University of Pittsburgh

MFA in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in English Writing
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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 (starting Fall 2027)
Funding: Competitive full funding
Tuition: $27,412 per academic year · In-state — Graduate, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania residents, full-time two terms · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 7, 2027 · Fall 2027
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University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

MFA in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,735 per credit · All students — MFA in Writing, per unit · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature

PhDPh.D. in Creative Writing & Literature
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Five years
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
University of Southern Maine logo

University of Southern Maine

Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Portland, ME
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Creative Nonfiction · Fiction · Poetry
Duration: 2 years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $3,609.60 per semester · All students — Summer semester (6 credits) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs
University of Utah logo

University of Utah

English MFA - Creative Writing

MFAMFA in English (Creative Writing)
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Two years (recommended timeline)
Funding: Competitive full funding
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Vermont College of Fine Arts

MFA in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Montpelier, VT
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters, 5 nine-day residencies)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $12,714 per semester · All students · Winter 2027 – Summer
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs

Vermont College of Fine Arts

MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults
Location: Montpelier, VT
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters, 5 nine-day residencies)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $13,095 per semester · All students · Winter 2027 – Summer
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs