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Creative WritingPrograms

Creative Writing Programs in Illinois

Dedicated creative writing degrees (BFA, BA, MFA and PhD) offered by schools in Illinois. English degrees with a creative writing concentration are not listed.

7 programs

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

Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Creative Writing (BA)

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Chicago, IL
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: $17,749 per semester · All students — Undergraduate, full-time tuition per semester (12-18 credits), new students · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
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Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

Creative Writing Major

BABachelor of Arts (Creative Writing Major)
Location: Evanston, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

MFA in Prose and Poetry

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Prose and Poetry
Location: Evanston, ILSchool location; study is online.
Format: Fully onlineAll coursework is completed online and the school does not require in-person attendance. · Part-time
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $4,000 (basis not stated by the school) · All students — Per course · 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

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing (BFAW)

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $59,460 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate (30 credit hours) · 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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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 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