MFA Creative Writing Programs

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

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 South Carolina-Columbia

Creative Writing, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Columbia, SC

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.

Genres: Fiction · Poetry

Duration: Three years

Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$10,500 stipend (annual (2025 figures))

Tuition: $6,867 per semester · In-state — Graduate, USC Columbia general, resident, full-time · 2026-2027

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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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

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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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University of Virginia

MFA in Creative Writing Program

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time

Genres: Poetry · Fiction

Duration: Three years, with an option to graduate in two years on an accelerated schedule

Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$29,660 stipend (per academic year including summer in years one and two ($37,080); $29,660 in year three (no summer support))

Tuition: $22,770 per academic year · In-state — GSAS master's programs, Virginia resident, full time (12 credits per term) · 2026-2027

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Seattle, WA

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time

Genres: Poetry · Fiction

Duration: Two years (six full-time quarters)

Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)

Tuition: Tuition not published

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Madison, WI

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.

Genres: Fiction · Poetry

Duration: Two years

Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)$33,000 stipend (per year (minimum, through TAships and scholarships))

Tuition: Tuition not published

Deadline: December 15, 2026 · Fall 2027

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Vanderbilt University

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Nashville, TN

Format: Format not verified

Genres: Fiction · Poetry

Duration: Three years

Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)

Tuition: Tuition not published

Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027

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VCF

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

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VCF

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

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Virginia Commonwealth University

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Richmond, VA

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time

Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction

Duration: Three years

Funding: Competitive full funding$19,000 stipend (a year (9-12 month annual stipend))

Tuition: Tuition not published

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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Warren Wilson College

MFA Program for Writers

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Swannanoa, NC

Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.

Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction

Duration: Four semesters and five residencies

Funding: Partial funding

Tuition: $10,324 per semester · All students

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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Washington University in St Louis

MFA Program in Creative Writing (The Writing Program)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing

Location: St. Louis, MO

Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.

Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction

Duration: Two years

Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)$34,510 stipend (12 months)

Tuition: $66,850 per academic year · All students — Value of full tuition remission (covered by the A&S Fellowship) · 2025-2026

Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027

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