best creative writing colleges houston

Best Creative Writing colleges in Houston 2024

Best creative writing colleges in houston for 2024.

University of Houston offers 3 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 14 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Doctoral degrees, and 6 Master's degrees.

Houston Baptist University offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 13 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Master's degrees, and 5 Bachelor's degrees.

List of all Creative Writing colleges in Houston

• Find Schools
• Twitter Facebook Pinterest
• Highest Paid
• Popular Online
• Non-Traditional

2025 Best Creative Writing Schools

College Factual reviewed 129 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of creative writing. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,164 degrees in creative writing annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

• Best Overall Creative Writing Schools List

Choosing a Great Creative Writing School

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Creative Writing Rankings by Degree Level

The creative writing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings , including this list of the Best Creative Writing Schools. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state .

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology .

Best Schools for Creative Writing in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of creative writing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Creative Writing

Every student who is interested in creative writing has to take a look at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. Pitt is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Pittsburgh. This university ranks 6th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 119 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year.

Any student pursuing a degree in creative writing has to check out Johns Hopkins University. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 80 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.

Develop your creativity and gain practical skills with a creative writing degree program –featuring 100% online classes – through a bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Related Programs

• MFA in Creative Writing - Online
• MA in English & Creative Writing
• BA English in Professional Writing
• Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in creative writing. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 11 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in creative writing. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 174 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 50 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 100 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.

Embrace your passion for storytelling and learn the professional writing skills you'll need to succeed with our online MFA in Creative Writing. Write your novel or short story collection while earning a certificate in the Online Teaching of Writing or Professional Writing, with no residency requirement.

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 47 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 46 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year.

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were about 48 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 18th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 26 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent data year.

Refine your writing skills and take a step toward furthering your career with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.

University of Arizona is a very large public university located in the city of Tucson. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were about 73 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 48 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were approximately 12 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available.

Emerson is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Boston. This college ranks 16th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 185 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Emerson in the most recent year we have data available.

Expand your professional skillset with this specialized online degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were about 30 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year.

Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 16 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year.

Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Lewisburg. This university ranks 11th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 25 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 37 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. This university ranks 5th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 11 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

Located in the city of Philadelphia, St. Joe's is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 9th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 10 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at St. Joe's in the most recent data year.

Texas State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of San Marcos. This university ranks 16th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 20 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year.

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 37 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 53 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 11 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year.

University of Rochester is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Rochester. This university ranks 8th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 13 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year.

Rest of the Top Best Creative Writing Schools

Honorable mentions.

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Creative Writing Schools award.

Creative Writing by Region

View the Best Creative Writing Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Associate degrees in creative writing, master's degrees in creative writing, bachelor's degrees in creative writing, doctor's degrees in creative writing.

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Creative Writing

One of 4 majors within the Writing Studies area of study, Creative Writing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Creative Writing

View All Creative Writing Related Majors >

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO .

More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature

Get a ph.d. in creative writing and literature.

Admission to the creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for Ph.D. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study. The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials.

Overview of Admissions Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission.

• M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing  
• 3.5 GPA in graduate studies 

Application Deadline

The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15.

For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature.  

History of the Creative Writing Program

Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.

Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.

Quick Links

Program Breakdown & Degree Requirements

Graduate Curricular Specializations

Financial Aid

How to Apply

Inprint Student Writing Awards

2025 Best Colleges with Creative Writing Degrees in Texas

• Direct Admissions
• College Quiz
• Best student life
• Top party schools
• Best academics
• Best colleges
• Best professors
• Hardest to get into

Best programs

• Accounting/finance
• Agricultural sciences
• Anthropology
• Architecture
• Communications
• Computer science
• Criminal justice
• Culinary arts
• Engineering
• Engineering technician
• Environmental science
• Film/photography
• Global studies
• Health care management
• Information technology
• International relations
• Kinesiology/therapy
• Performing arts
• Political science
• Public health
• Public policy
• Religious studies
• Sports management
• Most diverse
• Most liberal
• Most conservative

Social scene

• Best greek life
• Best campuses
• Best college dorms
• Best college food
• Best locations
• Safest campuses
• College athletics
• Best for student athletes

1-12 of 12 results

University of Texas - Austin

• Austin, TX ·
• · Rating 4.01 out of 5   6,863 reviews
• grade  A+ Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 31%
• Net price $17,434
• SAT range 1230-1500

#2 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, AUSTIN, TX. 6863 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Freshman says I absolutely love UT Austin! It's the best university in the country, with incredible research opportunities and top programs in various fields. The campus is beautiful and easily accessible, nestled... Read 6863 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A+, Acceptance Rate: 31%, Net Price: $17,434, SAT Range: 1230-1500,

Southern Methodist University

• Dallas, TX ·
• · Rating 3.87 out of 5   1,595 reviews
• grade  A Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 52%
• Net price $45,094
• SAT range 1370-1510

#5 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, DALLAS, TX. 1595 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars. Featured Review: Other says As an LLM student at SMU, I couldn’t be happier with my experience! The campus is beautiful, the faculty is incredibly supportive, and the academic environment is both challenging and rewarding. SMU... Read 1595 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A, Acceptance Rate: 52%, Net Price: $45,094, SAT Range: 1370-1510,

University of Houston

• Houston, TX ·
• · Rating 3.69 out of 5   6,819 reviews
• grade  A minus Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 66%
• Net price $14,056
• SAT range 1160-1330

#8 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, HOUSTON, TX. 6819 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars. Featured Review: Alum says I liked UH specifically the graphic design program. I would love to see some more funding go to the art school for a new building because it needs it badly. It seems like every other building has had... Read 6819 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A minus, Acceptance Rate: 66%, Net Price: $14,056, SAT Range: 1160-1330,

Queens University of Charlotte

• CHARLOTTE, NC
• · Rating 3.75 out of 5   624

Cleveland State University

• CLEVELAND, OH
• · Rating 3.66 out of 5   2,030

Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin

• · Rating 4.44 out of 5   18

Stephen F. Austin State University

• Nacogdoches, TX ·
• · Rating 3.77 out of 5   2,798 reviews
• grade  B Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 90%
• Net price $13,858
• SAT range 970-1160

#30 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, NACOGDOCHES, TX. 2798 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Freshman says They say that everyone at SFA is family and I'm starting to see that to be true, I have yet to run into a rude or hateful person. Everyone is friendly and helpful. On another note, my professors are... Read 2798 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B, Acceptance Rate: 90%, Net Price: $13,858, SAT Range: 970-1160,

Lubbock Christian University

• Lubbock, TX ·
• · Rating 3.91 out of 5   524 reviews
• Acceptance rate 93%
• Net price $23,551
• SAT range 940-1190

#31 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. This school participates in Niche Direct Admissions. 4 Year, LUBBOCK, TX. 524 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars. Featured Review: Senior says Lubbock Christian University (LCU) offers a supportive and engaging environment for online students. Many appreciate the flexibility that allows them to balance studies with other commitments. The... Read 524 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B, Acceptance Rate: 93%, Net Price: $23,551, SAT Range: 940-1190,

University of Texas - El Paso

• El Paso, TX ·
• · Rating 3.73 out of 5   3,132 reviews
• Acceptance rate 100%
• Net price $9,563
• SAT range 870-1090

#33 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, EL PASO, TX. 3132 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars. Featured Review: Freshman says What I liked about the university is the welcoming atmosphere. The professors and students were friendly, making it easier to connect and form friendships. The diverse culture, engaging with people... Read 3132 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B, Acceptance Rate: 100%, Net Price: $9,563, SAT Range: 870-1090,

• Will you get in? Understand your chances of getting accepted into any college in the country, and it's completely free

Austin Community College District

• · Rating 3.97 out of 5   2,545 reviews
• Net price $4,470
• SAT range —

#12 Best Community Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 2 Year, AUSTIN, TX. 2545 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience with Austin Community College District (ACC) has been positive overall. ACC offers a welcoming and supportive environment for students from all walks of life, including working parents... Read 2545 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B, Acceptance Rate: 100%, Net Price: $4,470,

Austin College

• Sherman, TX ·
• · Rating 3.52 out of 5   874 reviews
• Acceptance rate 55%
• Net price $24,739
• SAT range 1160-1370

#45 Best Colleges in Texas. Blue checkmark. 4 Year, SHERMAN, TX. 874 Niche users give it an average review of 3.5 stars. Featured Review: Sophomore says Austin College has been an incredible place for me to grow both academically and athletically. As a Black student-athlete and the first Black quarterback at this DIII NCAA school. One of the things I... Read 874 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B, Acceptance Rate: 55%, Net Price: $24,739, SAT Range: 1160-1370,

McMurry University

• Abilene, TX ·
• · Rating 3.75 out of 5   394 reviews
• grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 57%
• Net price $18,757
• SAT range 1040-1230

Blue checkmark. 4 Year, ABILENE, TX. 394 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Senior says Mcmurry is a really great campus! The professors are some of the nicest people I've met. Everyone there is very understanding and friendly with one another. It's a relaxing campus, not too big nor... Read 394 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Acceptance Rate: 57%, Net Price: $18,757, SAT Range: 1040-1230,

Houston Christian University

• · Rating 3.86 out of 5   1,012 reviews
• Acceptance rate 84%
• Net price $19,515
• SAT range 1060-1230

Blue checkmark. This school participates in Niche Direct Admissions. 4 Year, HOUSTON, TX. 1012 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars. Featured Review: Junior says My experience at Houston Christian University has been deeply enriching, both academically and personally. The supportive community, grounded in faith and service, fosters an environment where... Read 1012 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Acceptance Rate: 84%, Net Price: $19,515, SAT Range: 1060-1230,

Texas Wesleyan University

• Fort Worth, TX ·
• · Rating 3.71 out of 5   516 reviews
• Acceptance rate 61%
• Net price $15,652
• SAT range 910-1100

Blue checkmark. 4 Year, FORT WORTH, TX. 516 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars. Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience at Texas Wesleyan University has been quiet, for the most part. I prefer it that way as it's not painfully crowded everywhere you go and can find small places of peace. The hills do... Read 516 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Acceptance Rate: 61%, Net Price: $15,652, SAT Range: 910-1100,

Austin Community College District Online

• 2 Year (Online)
• · Rating 4.27 out of 5   30 reviews
• grade  unavailable Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate —
• Net price —

2 Year (Online), AUSTIN, TX. 30 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars. Featured Review: Other says The school has as many resources as possible to be successful throughout your college career. Everyone from the admission office to financial aid are all there to help you with anything you may need.... Read 30 reviews.

• Sponsored Find Student Loan Options
• 4 Ways to Pay for College
• 2025 Best Colleges with Playwriting and Screenwriting Degrees

Saint Mary's College of California

• · Rating 3.6 out of 5   1,124

University of Pittsburgh

• PITTSBURGH, PA
• · Rating 3.76 out of 5   4,420

West Coast University - Texas

• RICHARDSON, TX
• · Rating 3.94 out of 5   124

Showing results 1 through 12 of 12