How will your creative writing education stack up?

If you are considering pursuing a creative writing degree at home, below is relevant information to help you compare the education you will be receiving to that available elsewhere in the country. There are 330 traditional creative writing schools in the US.

Top Schools

The top schools in the nation in 2010 that had creative writing programs were:

1. Columbia University in the City of New York - located in New York, New York
2. Brown University - located in Providence, Rhode Island
3. University of Southern California - located in Los Angeles, California

Student Demographics

In 2010 in the US, 5,045 students graduated with degrees in creative writing. Of these students, 37 graduated from certificate programs in creative writing, 2,309 graduated from undergraduate programs in creative writing, and 2,699 graduated from graduate-level programs in creative writing.

Academics

Students can pursue education in creative writing at the following levels:

The skills and/or knowledge that creative writing students can expect to gain during the course of their creative writing education are:

• Word Processing
• Creative Non-Fiction
• Fiction
• Character Development
• Time Management

Cost

Students at creative writing schools around the nation paid an average of $26,763 in tuition fees per year in 2010. The creative writing schools charging the highest tuition were:

1. Columbia University in the City of New York - located in New York, New York, students paid $41,316
2. George Washington University - located in Washington, Washington DC, students paid $41,655
3. Carnegie Mellon University - located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, students paid $40,920

The lowest tuition was charged by the following creative writing schools:

1. University of Central Florida - located in Orlando, Florida, students paid $4,526
2. University of South Florida-Main Campus - located in Tampa, Florida, students paid $4,577
3. University of North Carolina-Wilmington - located in Wilmington, North Carolina, students paid $4,873

How will your creative writing job compare?

Creative writer is the profession of choice for a large number of creative writing graduates. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 40,980 creative writers working in the US in 2010. The largest numbers of creative writers work in the following states:

1. New York - 6,840 Creative Writers
2. California - 6,060 Creative Writers
3. Texas - 2,050 Creative Writers

Projected Growth

The following states are projected to have the fastest growth for creative writers over the next few years:

1. Utah - 26%
2. Texas - 22%
3. Georgia - 20%

Salary

On average, a creative writer earns a salary of $61,188 per year in the US. However, factors such as professional associations and certifications, your exact job description, or location can cause the salary for a creative writer to vary greatly. A creative writer in the US can earn anywhere from less than $15,460 per year to more than $165,590 per year. On average, a creative writer earns the most in the following states:

1. New York - $88,630 per year
2. California - $85,170 per year
3. Washington DC - $80,540 per year

On average, a creative writer earns the least in the following states:

1. North Dakota - $34,250 per year
2. Idaho - $36,320 per year
3. West Virginia - $37,090 per year