MFA Creative Writing Programs in California

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

Antioch University-Los Angeles

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Culver City, CA

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 · Screenwriting · Playwriting · Literary Translation

Duration: Two years: five residencies and four five-month online project periods

Funding: Partial funding

Tuition: $11,017 per semester · All students — Semesters 1-3 · 2026-2027

Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline

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California Institute of the Arts

MFA Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Valencia, CA

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

Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary

Duration: Two years

Funding: Funding not verified

Tuition: $62,954 per academic year · All students — Full-time undergraduate (BFA and certificate) and graduate (MFA, advanced certificate, and DMA) programs · 2026-2027

Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027

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Chapman University

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Location: Orange, CA

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

Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction

Duration: Duration not verified

Funding: Competitive full funding$18,000 stipend (per year (fellowship payment), renewable for a second year)

Tuition: $1,240 per credit · All students — MFA Creative Writing, per credit · 2026-2027

Deadline: November 1, 2026 · Spring 2027

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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

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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University of California-Irvine

MFA Programs in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) in English

Location: Irvine, CA

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

Genres: Fiction · Poetry

Duration: Two to three years; normative time three years, maximum four

Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$35,000 stipend (academic year (nine-month salary, estimated))

Tuition: $23,682.44 per academic year · In-state — Graduate, California resident (tuition and fees incl. student health insurance, three quarters) · 2026-2027

Deadline: December 11, 2026 · Fall 2027

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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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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

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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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