creativewritingmfa.info – rankings (2017)

Rankings

This is an attempt at creating an objective ranking of graduate creative writing programs.

For further and more detailed information on how the scores are generated see the methodology page.

The List

Program Overall score Fiction score Poetry score CNF score Genres Degrees State
University of Virginia 10766 13350 8700 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA VA
Iowa Writers Workshop 9960 12516 5573 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IA
Ohio State University 9528 7700 8300 14850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
Johns Hopkins University 9100 8600 6850 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MD
Florida State University 8266 3683 4266 1016 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA, PhD FL
University of Arizona 8016 9850 2850 12100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA AZ
University of Texas, James Michener Center 7850 5600 2516 933 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Screenwriting MFA TX
Indiana University 7766 6900 8850 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IN
University of Iowa 7266 100 100 7266 CNF MFA, PhD IA
University of Wisconsin Madison 6766 4766 1433 766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA WI
University of Houston 6475 2850 2600 1850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD TX
Syracuse University 6350 7600 4266 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NY
University of Pittsburgh 5988 5600 1500 17600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA PA
Ohio University 5600 2600 5600 8600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD OH
Arizona State University 5475 3850 1725 475 Fiction, Poetry MFA AZ
University of Cincinnati 5322 7600 4350 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD OH
University of California Irvine 4766 3516 1433 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA CA
University of Florida 4645 8100 1766 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA FL
University of Minnesota 4516 5600 2100 5850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MN
Boston University 4377 5500 3225 0 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA MA
Warren Wilson College 4023 4033 4009 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
University of Michigan 3963 1963 1918 327 Fiction, Poetry MFA MI
Cornell University 3655 2433 1211 211 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD NY
Purdue University 3600 1975 1725 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA IN
Brown University 3561 2869 484 407 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Multimedia MFA RI
University of Southern California 3300 6100 1433 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD CA
University of North Carolina Greensboro 3266 4266 2266 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
University of Southern Mississippi 3100 3100 2600 0 Fiction, Poetry MA, PhD MS
Western Michigan University 3016 1183 1433 600 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD MI
University of Massachusetts Amherst 2900 1877 3300 7100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MA
University of Idaho 2877 100 3766 4766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA ID
Virginia Commonwealth University 2814 1100 5433 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
University of Utah 2725 933 1058 1141 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD UT
University of Washington 2700 700 1700 500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
University of Montana 2600 2850 2266 2600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MT
Bowling Green State University 2600 3700 1300 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA OH
University of Oregon 2500 1100 1500 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA OR
Iowa State University 2500 1700 600 1400 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA IA
Bennington College 2480 1120 220 1340 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VT
Northern Michigan University 2475 5100 3100 3433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MI
University of Mississippi 2475 3350 1600 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MS
University of Arkansas 2457 1457 1100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Translation MFA AR
University of Nebraska Lincoln 2412 1537 475 975 MA, PhD NE
California State University Fresno 2314 100 100 6300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 2300 1500 3100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IL
Washington University St Louis 2300 1100 1300 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MO
Hollins University 2266 1433 433 350 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
University of Missouri St Louis 2100 3100 1100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MO
University of Colorado 2100 1700 433 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CO
University of New Mexico 2100 225 225 1850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NM
New York University 2066 866 1083 316 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA NY
Brooklyn College 2056 2671 877 0 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA NY
Vermont College of Fine Arts 2016 566 433 1416 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA VT
University of California Davis 1933 1350 683 100 Fiction, Poetry MA CA
Vanderbilt University 1933 1933 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA TN
Columbia University 1796 929 581 403 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
West Virginia University 1766 1100 1433 2766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WV
University of Alabama 1750 700 350 1000 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA AL
University of Maryland, College Park 1725 100 1475 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA MD
Notre Dame University 1700 2100 1300 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IN
University of Nevada Las Vegas 1700 2100 1300 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD NV
University of South Carolina 1655 2350 1766 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA SC
Louisiana State University 1600 725 475 600 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Screenwriting MFA LA
University of Missouri Columbia 1587 638 664 433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD MO
Florida International University 1561 1600 100 3433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
Colorado State University 1433 766 266 600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA CO
Emerson College 1411 566 166 877 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA MA
Oregon State University 1385 671 100 814 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
San Francisco State University 1343 694 397 289 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA CA
Texas Tech University 1341 341 720 893 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD TX
Hunter College 1322 711 100 711 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
University of Illinois 1266 1266 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA IL
University of New Orleans 1266 833 300 333 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA LA
University of North Carolina Wilmington 1236 327 236 872 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NC
Spalding University 1230 457 850 4500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting MA, MFA KY
University of Kansas 1225 100 100 1225 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA, PhD KS
Rutgers University Newark 1225 1162 162 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NJ
Western Washington University 1225 100 1600 3100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
Sarah Lawrence College 1223 592 515 330 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
University of Southern Maine 1122 375 1242 3766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Popular Fiction MFA ME
University of Toronto 1100 100 100 306 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MA ON
University of South Florida 1100 3100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Graphic Novel MFA FL
University of Miami 1100 1100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA FL
Florida Atlantic University 1100 1600 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
Pacific Lutheran University 1025 300 225 700 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
Rutgers University Camden 1016 1933 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NJ
University of Denver 996 789 306 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD CO
Georgia College and State University 975 1100 100 1433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA GA
Eastern Washington University 957 877 475 2100 Fiction, Poetry MFA WA
University of Alaska Fairbanks 957 385 100 385 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA AK
American University 933 350 683 100 Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting MFA DC
Texas State University 850 600 200 250 Fiction, Poetry MFA TX
McNeese State University 850 850 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA LA
Virginia Tech 850 100 1600 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA VA
Georgia State University 833 766 166 433 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD GA
Northwestern University 833 100 100 833 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA IL
George Mason University 824 566 322 2500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
University of Texas Austin 814 814 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA TX
Wichita State University 800 800 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA KS
Ashland University 780 100 100 780 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
Temple University 766 766 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA PA
University of New Hampshire 766 377 100 377 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NH
North Carolina State University 742 528 957 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
School of the Art Institute of Chicago 740 420 220 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IL
San Jose State University 725 100 100 1350 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA CA
University of California San Diego 725 725 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA CA
Queens College 725 1350 100 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Translation MFA NY
SUNY Binghamton 720 306 341 410 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MA, PhD NY
University of Tennessee 700 433 366 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD TN
Boise State University 700 700 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA ID
New Mexico State University 700 700 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA NM
University of Illinois at Chicago 666 366 366 133 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD IL
University of Wyoming 655 655 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WY
Goddard College 633 266 300 266 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting, Graphic Novel MFA VT
Penn State University 617 444 237 134 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA PA
Queens University of Charlotte 611 477 100 211 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA NC
Butler University 600 100 2100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IN
University of California Riverside 600 155 377 266 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA CA
Northeast Ohio Consortium 600 350 100 350 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
Sam Houston State University 600 100 600 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA TX
Minnesota State University Mankato 600 322 100 377 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MN
Northern Arizona University 528 528 1100 850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA AZ
Brigham Young University 500 100 100 500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA UT
Seattle Pacific University 488 100 100 488 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 480 180 340 160 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD WI
Converse College 475 100 100 475 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA SC
Lasell University 463 100 2100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Graphic Novel MFA MA
Antioch University 446 266 433 725 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA CA
Columbia College 433 127 100 322 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IL
Chico State University 410 100 306 306 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA CA
University of Georgia 410 410 100 203 Fiction, CNF MFA, PhD GA
Chicago State University 400 100 100 400 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IL
NYU Writers Workshop in Paris 400 400 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NY
Eastern Michigan University 400 100 350 150 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA MI
Goucher College 400 100 100 400 CNF MFA MD
University of British Columbia 390 100 154 227 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting, Translation, Lyric and libretto, Radio drama, Graphic Novel MFA BC
University of Central Florida 385 100 385 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
St Mary's College of California 385 385 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Fairleigh Dickinson University 380 180 180 380 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Translation MFA NJ
Old Dominion University 372 700 1100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
New England College 366 100 366 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NH
Drew University 366 100 366 100 Poetry MFA NJ
California Institute of the Arts 350 150 250 150 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Multimedia MFA CA
University of New Brunswick 341 341 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MA, PhD New Brunswick
Portland State University 340 340 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
Institute of American Indian Arts 333 133 100 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting MFA NM
University of Louisiana Lafayette 306 100 100 306 MA, PhD LA
Missouri State University 306 306 100 306 MA MO
Sierra Nevada College 300 100 100 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NV
Stonybrook University 300 300 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
Concordia University Montreal 272 272 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MA Québec
City College of New York 266 227 139 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NY
Oklahoma State University 256 463 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD OK
Fairfield University 253 100 100 253 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA CT
University of Saskatchewan 242 100 100 242 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA SK
Hamline University 240 100 220 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA MN
Mississippi State University 237 100 237 100 Fiction, Poetry MA MS
University of Kentucky 211 100 100 211 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA KY
Rhode Island College 203 203 100 203 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA RI
New College of California 203 100 203 100 CA
San Diego State University 200 150 150 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA CA
University of New Orleans Low Residency 200 100 100 200 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA LA
University of California Berkeley 168 100 168 100 MA CA
Texas A&M 168 168 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA TX
University of North Texas 166 144 100 122 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD TX
University of San Francisco 158 129 100 129 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Naropa University 141 141 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Translation MFA CO
Bard College 134 134 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia MFA NY
SUNY Brockport 134 100 134 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA NY
Pacific University 120 100 100 120 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
Wilkes University 112 100 100 112 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA PA
University of Guelph 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA Ontario
University of Windsor 100 100 100 100 MA Ontario
Chapman University 100 100 100 100 CS
Southern New Hampshire University 100 100 100 100
University of Memphis 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA TN
College of Charleston 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA SC
University of Hawaii 100 100 100 100 MA, PhD HI
Miami University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
SUNY Albany 100 100 100 100 MA, PhD NY
Western Colorado University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA CO
Harvard Extension 100 100 100 100
Rosemont College 100 100 100 100
Regis University 100 100 100 100
Lesley University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting MFA MA
University of Nevada Reno 100 100 100 100 NV
Minnesota State University Moorhead 100 100 100 100 MN
Long Island University 100 100 100 100
University of Nebraska Omaha 100 100 100 100 NE
Western Kentucky University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting MFA KY
University of Missouri Kansas City 100 100 100 100 MFA MO
Rivier University 100 100 100 100
University of Akron 100 100 100 100
Lindenwood University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting MFA MO
University of Central Oklahoma 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA OK
California College of the Arts 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
University of Connecticut 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MA, PhD CT
Creighton University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA NE
Savannah College of Art and Design 100 100 100 100 CNF MFA GA
Ball State University 100 100 100 100
Western Connecticut State University 100 100 100 100 CT
University of Texas El Paso 100 100 100 100 TX
University of Massachusetts Boston 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA MA

Lists of authors without graduate creative writing degrees or whose degree status is unknown are available. Send questions, comments and corrections to info@creativewritingmfa.info.

Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Poetry, The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology.