Literature has long offered readers a way to engage with ideas, language, and culture. American literature is an important part of English-language literary history, encompassing a wide range of works and traditions.
The United States is home to many universities with established creative writing programs. Students can study writing through workshops, literature courses, and opportunities to develop their craft across genres.
Below are several U.S. universities offering notable creative writing programs at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Top Schools Offering Creative Writing in the U.S.
1. Columbia University
The ties between New York City and Columbia University predate Columbia College’s 1754 founding as King’s College. Columbia University offers an undergraduate major in Creative Writing through the School of the Arts.
Since 1901, 88 Columbians—including alumni, faculty members, researchers, and administrators—have won Nobel Prizes. The Creative Writing major requires at least 36 points: five workshops, four seminars, and three related courses.
The workshops help students hone their literary technique, while the seminars study literary technique and history from a writer’s perspective.
For admitted international students who apply for financial aid, Columbia meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. The average award for international financial aid recipients is $79,375 and usually includes a Columbia grant and a student-employment component. International applicants requesting aid are reviewed through a need-aware admissions process.
2. University of Southern California
The University of Southern California offers a full-time, in-residence Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature. USC describes it as one of a small number of U.S. programs that combine creative writing and literary study in a single doctoral program.
Students complete coursework in creative writing and literature. The dissertation combines a book-length creative manuscript with a critical component.
USC’s creative writing faculty include recipients of Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, the National Book Award, National Endowment for the Arts grants, and Pushcart Prizes. Admission is highly competitive: the program typically accepts about nine students each year, or two to three writers per genre, from approximately 250 to 300 applicants.
Incoming students receive five years of guaranteed funding: three years of fellowship support and two years of teaching assistantships. Fellowship years are normally the first, second, and fourth years. The funding package includes a stipend, full tuition remission, and year-round health and dental benefits.
3. Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing and an MFA in Creative Writing.
The undergraduate concentration includes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Students gain practical experience through writing workshops and internship opportunities.
The department also highlights editorial and publishing opportunities. Creative writing students may work with Hayden’s Ferry Review, while undergraduates can intern with Superstition Review and participate in campus literary clubs and publications.
International first-year and transfer F-1 students may be considered for ASU’s New American University Scholarship. This merit-based award helps with college expenses; it should not be treated as a full-tuition scholarship.
4. Cornell University
In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Cornell University is ranked No. 16 worldwide. Cornell has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1921, and its accreditation was most recently reaffirmed in 2021. Cornell reports 52 Nobel laureates with faculty or alumni affiliations.
Students can earn a two-year MFA in Creative Writing with concentrations in fiction or poetry. The department enrolls eight MFA students per year, four in each concentration.
MFA students complete four required graduate workshops and four required graduate-level courses, as well as Literary Small Publishing, Creative Writing Pedagogical & Thesis Development, and a teaching internship.
All MFA candidates, including international students, are guaranteed two years of funding, including a stipend, a full tuition fellowship, and student health insurance. The first year includes a graduate assistantship with EPOCH and a summer teaching assistantship linked to a teacher-training program. The second year includes a teaching assistantship through the Knight Institute.
5. University of Chicago
Last on our list is the University of Chicago, which was incorporated in 1890 and is located in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. It is ranked No. 13 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. The Creative Writing Program offers an undergraduate major in Creative Writing and a formal Creative Writing option through the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH).
Students in the undergraduate program study creative writing in a broader academic context and work with established poets and prose writers. The program emphasizes the fundamentals of creative work and opportunities for interdisciplinary study.
The MAPH Creative Writing Option is intended for students planning a thesis in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Students complete the MAPH core course, a genre-specific creative writing course in the Autumn Quarter, a Thesis/Major Projects Workshop in the Winter Quarter, three academic courses relevant to the proposed thesis area, and two electives. The thesis includes a creative component and a brief critical essay.
Full-time MAPH students take three for-credit courses per quarter. Because tuition is listed separately and may change, students should consult the University’s bursar website for the current amount. MAPH scholarships for applicants with exceptional academic promise are partial-tuition awards, and the highest are typically around one-third of tuition. International students are not eligible for federal loans, grants, or work-study, but MAPH directs them to financial aid resources through the Office of International Affairs and notes that some students find funding through Fulbright.
In summary, the United States offers a range of creative writing programs for students who want to broaden their perspectives and refine their craft. The universities above provide undergraduate or graduate opportunities with different structures, genres, and funding arrangements.
We hope you found this article useful. Visit our Guide to Studying in the US and Available Programs for International Students for more information about university programs and scholarship opportunities in the country.
