creativewritingmfa.info – rankings (2018)

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
Johns Hopkins University 12725 11850 9350 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MD
Ohio State University 10600 10850 12100 10700 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
University of Virginia 10100 10500 9600 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA VA
Indiana University 9322 8700 10100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IN
Iowa Writers Workshop 8811 11020 4900 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IA
Florida State University 8183 3600 4183 600 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 7933 6183 2350 350 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Screenwriting MFA TX
University of Iowa 6350 100 100 6350 CNF MFA, PhD IA
University of Southern California 5900 10100 3100 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD CA
University of Cincinnati 5877 8850 4350 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD OH
University of Houston 5787 3037 1975 1662 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD TX
University of Wisconsin Madison 5600 4266 1433 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA WI
University of Florida 5372 9300 2100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA FL
University of Minnesota 5350 8100 2100 5850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MN
Syracuse University 5350 7266 2766 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NY
University of Pittsburgh 5100 3433 2100 10766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA PA
Arizona State University 4975 3600 1475 475 Fiction, Poetry MFA AZ
Boston University 4877 5000 4100 0 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA MA
Ohio University 4725 1433 6100 7100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD OH
Warren Wilson College 4272 4100 4516 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
University of Michigan 4145 2372 1645 327 Fiction, Poetry MFA MI
University of California Irvine 4016 2766 1433 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA CA
Purdue University 3725 1975 1850 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA IN
University of Idaho 3544 1766 3433 5433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA ID
University of North Carolina Greensboro 3516 3600 3433 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
Vanderbilt University 3433 4766 2100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA TN
Cornell University 3211 1988 988 433 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD NY
Brown University 3023 2330 484 407 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Multimedia MFA RI
University of Mississippi 2850 2350 3100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MS
University of New Mexico 2850 975 225 1850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NM
University of Southern Mississippi 2827 3671 1350 0 Fiction, Poetry MA, PhD MS
University of Nebraska Lincoln 2787 1537 662 975 MA, PhD NE
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 2725 1600 3850 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA IL
University of Colorado 2725 2900 433 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CO
University of Montana 2711 3100 2266 2600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MT
University of Oregon 2700 1400 1400 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA OR
Western Michigan University 2683 1183 1433 266 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD MI
University of Massachusetts Amherst 2600 2322 2200 7100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MA
University of Washington 2600 700 1600 500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
Bowling Green State University 2600 3700 1500 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA OH
Bennington College 2460 1140 220 1300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VT
Washington University St Louis 2366 966 1500 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MO
University of Utah 2350 766 1016 1016 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD UT
University of New Hampshire 2314 2242 766 3100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NH
University of Nevada Las Vegas 2300 3300 1300 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD NV
Brooklyn College 2273 3242 544 0 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA NY
Hollins University 2266 1766 433 350 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
University of Arkansas 2242 1385 957 171 Fiction, Poetry, Translation MFA AR
Virginia Commonwealth University 2225 1100 3600 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
Louisiana State University 2100 2600 1100 4100 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Screenwriting MFA LA
Vermont College of Fine Arts 2033 566 416 1433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA VT
Iowa State University 2000 1200 600 1400 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MFA IA
Notre Dame University 2000 2100 1900 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IN
University of Maryland, College Park 1975 100 1725 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA MD
New York University 1916 883 1016 250 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA NY
Virginia Tech 1877 100 1300 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA VA
University of South Carolina 1877 3100 1433 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA SC
West Virginia University 1766 1100 1433 2766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WV
Florida International University 1766 2700 600 1766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
University of Alabama 1750 750 350 950 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA AL
Northern Michigan University 1725 3433 3100 3100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MI
University of Missouri St Louis 1700 2300 1100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA MO
Columbia University 1700 900 633 374 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
University of California Davis 1683 1100 683 100 Fiction, Poetry MA CA
University of Wyoming 1655 1655 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WY
California State University Fresno 1638 100 100 5100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Boise State University 1600 3100 100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA ID
University of Missouri Columbia 1561 561 638 433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD MO
Emerson College 1544 633 166 944 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA MA
Rutgers University Camden 1433 1933 100 1766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NJ
Colorado State University 1433 766 266 600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA CO
University of New Orleans 1420 2100 645 1850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA LA
University of Texas Austin 1385 814 671 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA TX
Oregon State University 1314 671 100 742 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
Eastern Washington University 1290 1544 1225 850 Fiction, Poetry MFA WA
University of Illinois 1266 1266 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA IL
Spalding University 1230 561 700 3500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting MA, MFA KY
Western Washington University 1225 350 1600 2600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
University of North Carolina Wilmington 1190 327 236 827 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NC
Sarah Lawrence College 1130 561 500 284 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
American University 1100 433 683 266 Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting MFA DC
Texas Tech University 1100 306 548 858 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD TX
University of Southern Maine 1100 366 1242 3766 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Popular Fiction MFA ME
University of Miami 1100 1100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA FL
Western Kentucky University 1100 1100 100 1100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting MFA KY
Rutgers University Newark 1100 1037 162 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NJ
San Francisco State University 1100 586 343 289 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA CA
University of California Riverside 1044 488 488 266 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA CA
Hunter College 1044 711 100 433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
Butler University 1016 100 1766 3100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IN
New Mexico State University 1000 1000 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MA, MFA NM
University of South Florida 988 2766 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Graphic Novel MFA FL
McNeese State University 975 850 225 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA LA
University of Denver 962 789 272 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF PhD CO
Florida Atlantic University 957 1300 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
University of Alaska Fairbanks 957 385 100 671 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA AK
University of Toronto 933 100 100 272 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama MA ON
George Mason University 927 957 655 1266 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
Temple University 814 1766 100 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA PA
Pacific Lutheran University 775 300 200 475 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
Miami University 766 2100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
Georgia State University 766 700 166 366 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD GA
Texas State University 750 600 100 250 Fiction, Poetry MFA TX
Ashland University 740 100 100 740 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
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
SUNY Binghamton 720 237 444 410 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MA, PhD NY
North Carolina State University 715 600 814 0 Fiction, Poetry MFA NC
Queens University of Charlotte 700 566 100 211 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA NC
Sam Houston State University 600 100 600 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA TX
Queens College 600 1100 100 0 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Translation MFA NY
University of Tennessee 566 366 300 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA, PhD TN
Georgia College and State University 544 100 100 1433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA GA
Lasell University 544 100 2100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Graphic Novel MFA MA
University of Illinois at Chicago 533 366 200 166 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD IL
University of British Columbia 518 172 154 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting, Translation, Lyric and libretto, Radio drama, Graphic Novel MFA BC
Wichita State University 500 500 100 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA KS
Brigham Young University 500 100 100 500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA UT
Northeast Ohio Consortium 500 300 100 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OH
Goddard College 500 200 266 233 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Drama, Screenwriting, Graphic Novel MFA VT
Northwestern University 500 100 100 500 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA IL
Minnesota State University Mankato 488 322 100 266 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA MN
Converse College 475 100 100 475 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA SC
School of the Art Institute of Chicago 460 300 100 260 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA IL
Antioch University 446 266 433 725 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA CA
Pacific University 440 200 200 240 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
Seattle Pacific University 433 100 100 433 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA WA
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
Old Dominion University 400 700 1100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA VA
California Institute of the Arts 400 150 250 200 Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Multimedia MFA CA
University of North Texas 388 144 166 277 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD TX
University of Central Florida 385 100 385 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA FL
Fairleigh Dickinson University 380 180 180 380 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA, Translation MFA NJ
Goucher College 366 100 100 366 CNF MFA MD
New England College 366 100 366 100 Fiction, Poetry MFA NH
Hamline University 360 100 220 220 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, CYA MFA MN
Penn State University 341 306 100 134 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA PA
University of New Brunswick 341 341 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MA, PhD New Brunswick
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 340 160 220 160 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, PhD WI
Portland State University 340 340 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA OR
University of San Francisco 335 129 100 305 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Institute of American Indian Arts 333 133 100 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting MFA NM
Northern Arizona University 314 100 100 850 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA AZ
University of Louisiana Lafayette 306 100 100 306 MA, PhD LA
Western Colorado University 306 100 306 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA, MFA CO
Missouri State University 306 306 100 306 MA MO
Bard College 306 134 272 100 Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia MFA NY
New College of California 306 100 306 100 CA
Sierra Nevada College 300 100 100 300 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NV
Fairfield University 273 100 100 600 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Drama, Screenwriting MFA CT
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
Stonybrook University 260 260 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA NY
University of Saskatchewan 242 100 100 242 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA SK
St Mary's College of California 242 242 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Oklahoma State University 237 433 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA, PhD OK
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
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 Central Oklahoma 166 100 100 166 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA OK
California College of the Arts 166 166 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MFA CA
Naropa University 141 141 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Translation MFA CO
University of Windsor 134 134 100 100 MA Ontario
SUNY Brockport 134 100 134 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA NY
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
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
Eastern Michigan University 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, CNF MA MI
University of Kansas 100 100 100 100 Fiction, Poetry, Drama MFA, PhD KS
SUNY Albany 100 100 100 100 MA, PhD NY
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
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 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
Drew University 100 100 100 100 Poetry MFA NJ
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.