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Creative WritingPrograms
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, main campus (Quad) with the Illini Union building in the background.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, main campus (Quad) with the Illini Union building in the background. · Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, ILPublicDepartment of English, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

The Department of English at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a three-year MFA in Creative Writing in fiction and poetry and an undergraduate Creative Writing major (Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences). The department publishes the literature and arts magazine Ninth Letter, where MFA students can work on the editorial staff.

Eligible creative writing degrees

Each program has its own page with admissions, tuition, funding and sources.

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
View program
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Champaign, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Poetry
Duration: Three academic years
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)
Tuition: $14,908 per academic year · In-state — Graduate base, resident · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs

Degrees we reviewed but do not list

This directory lists only dedicated creative writing degrees. These related offerings were checked against official pages and fall outside that scope.
  • Creative Writing MinorMinor; not a degree program.Source: english.illinois.edu · verified October 9, 2026
  • English, BALAS (with concentrations) (Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences, Major in English)General English degree; not a creative writing degree.Source: catalog.illinois.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Literary journals, readings and facilities

Literary journals

Institution

Official name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Control
Public
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 9, 2026
Address
601 E John Street, Champaign, IL 61820-5711
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 9, 2026
Website

Sources

Last verified October 9, 2026. Program facts and their sources are on each program page.
  1. catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/creative-writing-mfa/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
  2. catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/las/creative-writing-balas/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
  3. english.illinois.edu/academics/our-mfa-creative-writing — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  4. english.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/our-undergraduate-creative-writing-major — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  5. IPEDS 2024–25 Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), via College Navigator — U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS), verified October 9, 2026

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