best creative writing programs in texas

26 Best colleges for Creative Writing in Texas

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Texas ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 70.1K citations received by 6.4K academic papers made by 26 universities in Texas was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Texas at Austin

For Creative Writing

2. Texas A&M University - College Station

3. University of Houston

4. Texas Tech University

5. University of North Texas

6. Rice University

7. Baylor University

8. University of Texas at San Antonio

9. Southern Methodist University

10. Texas State University

11. Texas Christian University

12. Trinity University

13. University of Texas at Dallas

14. University of Texas at El Paso

15. University of Texas Medical Branch

16. University of Texas at Arlington

17. Baylor College of Medicine

18. Texas Woman's University

19. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

20. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

21. Sam Houston State University

22. University of Houston - Clear Lake

23. Texas A&M University - Commerce

24. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

25. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

26. Stephen F Austin State University

Closest to Texas states to learn Creative Writing

Art & Design subfields in Texas

2024 Best Creative Writing Schools in Texas

Choosing a great creative writing school, pick your creative writing degree level.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology .

Best Schools for Creative Writing in Texas

Top texas schools in creative writing.

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

There were approximately 14 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent data year.

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

There were about 44 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UTEP in the most recent data year.

There were roughly 4 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent data year.

There were about 4 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at SHSU in the most recent data year.

There were approximately 12 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UT Rio Grande Valley in the most recent data year.

There were approximately 23 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at SFASU in the most recent year we have data available.

Best Creative Writing Colleges in the Southwest Region

Other Rankings

Bachelor's degrees in creative writing, doctor's degrees in creative writing, master's degrees in creative writing, creative writing related rankings by major, most popular majors related to creative writing.

Notes and References

Popular reports, compare your school options.

Michener Center for Writers

Mfa in writing.

The Michener Center for Writers is the only Creative Writing M.F.A. program in the world that provides full and equal funding to every writer—yet it is our extraordinary faculty and sense of community that most distinguishes us. Our program is a three-year, fully-funded residency M.F.A. with a unique multi-disciplinary focus. Writers apply and are admitted in a primary genre—fiction, poetry, playwriting or screenwriting—and study in both their primary and a secondary genre(s). There are no teaching duties, a luxury that allows our Fellows to commit themselves fully to their writing. And because only twelve writers are admitted each year, our faculty can devote ample time and energy to every writer. With unparalleled support and the deeply held belief that literary art matters now more than ever, the Michener Center offers writers 3 years of unencumbered space to make the work that only they can make.

News & Events

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Alumn John McManus Wins American Short(er) Fiction Prize

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MCW Alumn Monica Macansantos Awarded Shearing Fellowship

MCW Alumn Monica Macansantos (MCW 2013) been awarded a Black Mountain Institute 2024-2025 Shearing Fellowship. The fellowship brings writers to the UNLV campus for one year… Read more

MCW Alumn Rachel Kondo to Receive Austin Film Festival New Voices Award

Rachel Kondo (MCW 2016), co-creator of Shōgun on FX, has been awarded the 2024 New Voice Award from Austin Film Festival. Kondo is being honored alongside… Read more

Alumni Work Streaming This Summer

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MCW Fellow Darius Atefat-Peckham is Keene Prize Runner-Up

Michener Center Fellow Darius Atefat-Peckham has been named a runner-up for the 2024 UT Keene Prize for Literature, for an excerpt from his forthcoming book… Read more

Alumn Abe Koogler’s Play Opens to Positive Reviews

Michener Center Playwriting Alumnus Abe Koogler‘s play Staff Meal has opened to rave reviews, with recent coverage from The New York Times, Vulture, Observer, New York Theatre… Read more

The Michener Center aims to be a welcoming, inspiring, and invigorating community where writers feel safe and supported to take chances on the page. We are extremely proud that there is no hierarchy here—all students receive equal funding—and we firmly believe that our egalitarian approach fosters a higher level of work that more competitive environments suppress.

Our MFA candidates have come from places as varied as western India, South Korea, eastern Europe, and northern Idaho. Their backgrounds and experiences lend to the pages they produce, which are unique and uniquely vital. We aren’t seeking writers of any particular aesthetic, but rather we are looking for writers whose work is distinct, urgent, and arresting.

Each year, we receive hundreds of applications for twelve seats in the cohort. We accept only full-time, in-residence candidates for the three-year program. There is no low-residency or part-time option.

Applicants must meet the UT Graduate School’s minimum requirements for consideration, which include completion of a Bachelor’s Degree prior to enrollment. The Michener Center no longer requires GRE scores.

James Michener was the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of over 40 books, including Texas , Hawaii , and Tales of the South Pacific . In his final years, he and his wife, Mari Yoriko Sabusawa, moved to Austin, TX, where they endowed the Texas Center for Writers, a three-year MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas. The first cohort of Michener Fellows graduated in 1996. After Mr. Michener’s death in 1997, the Center was renamed in his honor.

To ensure both continuity and fresh perspectives, the Michener Center faculty is built with fixed and moving parts. Writers from UT’s departments of English, Theatre and Dance, and Radio-Television-Film comprise our Resident Faculty, and each year we also welcome an exciting roster of distinguished Visiting Faculty. That our faculty members—resident and visiting—are as passionate about their teaching as they are their writing is of the utmost importance. Like our students, our faculty afford the program a wealth of varied experience, an abiding sense of shared enterprise, and deep commitment to the making of literary art. For more on our outstanding faculty in each genre, visit our Faculty page .

Best Writing and Scriptwriting colleges in Texas

Best writing and scriptwriting colleges in texas for 2024.

Texas Tech University offers 8 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 35 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 15 Master's degrees, 8 Certificates, 8 Doctoral degrees, and 4 Bachelor's degrees.

University of North Texas offers 4 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 6 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 6 Certificates.

Saint Edward's University offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 24 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 24 Bachelor's degrees.

University of Houston-Downtown offers 3 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 21 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 14 Bachelor's degrees, and 7 Master's degrees.

Baylor University offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 21 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 21 Bachelor's degrees.

The University of Texas at Austin offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 49 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 49 Bachelor's degrees.

Texas State University offers 2 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 8 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 8 Master's degrees.

The University of Texas at El Paso offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city.

Our Lady of the Lake University offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city.

Texas Christian University offers 1 Writing and Scriptwriting degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 12 Writing and Scriptwriting students graduated with students earning 12 Bachelor's degrees.

Top schools offering Writing and Scriptwriting degrees in Texas

Writing and scriptwriting.

• Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing Schools
• Writing Schools

List of all Writing and Scriptwriting colleges in Texas

Department of English

Creative Writing at UNT

Welcome to Creative Writing at the University of North Texas. We offer a Ph.D. in English with a concentration in creative writing , an M.A. in creative writing , and an undergraduate major with a concentration in creative writing. At UNT, we've fostered a thriving literary community enriched by our Visiting Writers Series and by our national journal, American Literary Review .

Corey Marks Director of Creative Writing [email protected] (940) 565-2126

For more details about the application process, please contact the department's Graduate Office:

(940) 565-2273

_____________________

Pictured (L-R): Kimberly Grey, Daniel Peña, Sarah Perry

Click here for creative writing faculty profiles.

_________________________________________________

Spring 2024 Events

Unt's visiting writers series presents andrew boryga.

Please join us for the latest installment of UNT's Visiting Writers Series, featuring Andrew Boryga and his debut novel, Victim .

When: Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Where: 4PM - Craft Talk and Q&A in Curry 103

8PM - Reading and Signing in Art 223 (in the CVAD building, located at the corner of W Mulberry and S Welch)

Andrew Boryga began his career writing for a local newspaper in the Bronx at age 16. Two years later, he had worked his way into an internship with The New York Times . Since then, his nonfiction work has appeared frequently in the Times, as well as The New Yorker , The Atlantic , The Paris Review , The Daily Beast , and many other outlets. Now, his debut novel, titled Victim , is being released by Penguin Random House. Find a snippet of it here: https://lithub.com/victim/ .

"A thrilling work that requires a sense of openness and surrender, not only does [Victim] place the onus on us to decide whether Javi is a victim, a victimizer or both, it also forces us to interrogate our own complicity in the commodification of being a casualty." - New York Times

"A pointed satire of the culture of victimhood… Boryga's experiences as a journalist making a name for himself just as society was grappling with diversity inform this razor-sharp satire of the ways race and class can be exploited." - Washington Post

Copies will be available for sale and signing.

Add this date to your UNT Event Calendar here: https://calendar.unt.edu/event/unts-visiting-writers-series-presents-andrew-boryga .

UNT's Alumni Reading Series presents Matt Morton and Jessica Murray

Join us for a reading and book-signing with alumni Matt Morton and Jessica Murray.

Thursday, March 7th, 2024

Where: ART 223 (in CVAD Building)

MATT MORTON

Matt Morton is the author of Improvisation Without Accompaniment , winner of the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize, selected by Patricia Smith (BOA Editions, 2020), and the chapbook What Passes Here for Mountains (Carnegie Mellon, 2022). His poems have appeared in AGNI , Gettysburg Review , Harvard Review , the Los Angeles Review of Books , Missouri Review , and elsewhere. He has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright Program, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the Sewanee Writers' Conference. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin, an MFA from the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars, and a PhD in English from the University of North Texas. He serves as associate editor for 32 Poems and teaches high school English and creative writing in Missoula, Montana.

Website: mattmortonpoetry.com

JESSICA MURRAY

Jessica Murray is the author of the poetry collection Breakfast in Fur (Galileo Press, 2022). Her poems, essays, reviews, and one poetry manifesto appear in the Birmingham Review , The Boiler , Cherry Tree , Cortland Review , Free State Review , Hapden - Sydney Review , Memorious , Painted Bride Quarterly , and other journals. She has an MFA from University of Florida and a doctorate from University of North Texas and lives in Austin, Texas.

Website: murrayjessica.com

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• College of Liberal Arts
• Creative Writing
• Academic Programs

The University of Texas at El Paso is proud to offer a fully online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Writers can complete the entire degree from anywhere in the world, as there is no residency requirement.

Our goal is to prepare serious writers for publishing and teaching careers. The degree plan consists of 48 hours of coursework - 42 hours of workshops and literature classes (14 courses), followed by 6 hours of thesis during which students complete a publishable manuscript in poetry or fiction.

We offer a workshop-heavy M.F.A., but we believe in the necessity of a background in theory and form. Our candidates enjoy a wide variety of graduate courses in literature, from the “Form of the Short Story” to “Asian American Poetry.”

We believe that the excellent reputation of our M.F.A. program is created by our faculty and the writers we graduate. Therefore, our primary goal is to connect our students with solid writers who will aid in their artistic and intellectual development.

The main criterion for admission is a writing sample in either fiction or poetry. We look for writers with distinctive or developing voices, a sense of cultural or social awareness, and a yearning to expand one’s use of the craft. It’s simple; if you’re good at what you do, we want you to study with us.

We encourage but do not favor undergraduate degrees in Creative Writing or English. Our students and graduates come from various fields, from physics to theater, and all of them enrich the writing experience. Some of our applicants are establishing themselves as writers, while some already have books published, but need the M.F.A. degree to advance in their teaching careers. Whatever level you find yourself at, we welcome your work.

Our classes and discussions are held in English, however if you feel more comfortable, or feel like exploring language, you may submit your creative assignments in Spanish.

We look forward to hearing from you.

No matter where you are in the world, write with us.

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, Advisor for the Online MFA

For questions concerning the M.F.A. curriculum itself, please write us at [email protected]

For questions about the application process, please contact  [email protected]

Maestría en Escritura Creativa en Línea de UTEP

La Universidad de Texas en El Paso se enorgullece en ofrecer la Maestría en Escritura Creativa en línea completamente en español. Ahora también los escritores latinos podrán realizar sus estudios de posgrado con nosotros en tu idioma y desde cualquier lugar del mundo. 

El programa consta de 48 créditos académicos a completar en el curso de tres años. Nuestras materias cubren un amplio rango de tópicos como traducción literaria, guión, crónica, novela corta y prosa poética, entre otros. Además, si eres bilingüe puedes optar por llevar materias en inglés.

Nuestro objetivo es preparar a los escritores para que publiquen y emprendan una carrera como maestros a nivel licenciatura y posgrado. La tesis a desarrollar dentro del programa es un libro en los géneros de poesía, ficción, o no ficción. Así que al graduarte estarás listo para el mundo editorial.

Aceptamos postulantes de cualquier parte del mundo y de diversas carreras. Aunque la gran mayoría de ellos vienen del área de literatura, nuestros alumnos y graduados provienen también de áreas como física, comunicación, y teatro, consolidándose así un diálogo enriquecedor.

Buscamos escritores que tengan conciencia intercultural y social, así como un deseo por ampliar la técnica de su oficio. Todos nuestros profesores son escritores activos y destacados en la escena literaria de las Américas. Cada uno de ellos habrá de contribuir en tu desarrollo artístico e intelectual. Esta es tu oportunidad de discutir tu trabajo con voces experimentadas y consolidar tu progreso literario.

Nuestras clases son impartidas en inglés, sin embargo, nuestro profesorado es bilingüe, esto te permite escribir en el idioma que más te sientas cómodo, español o inglés, como prefieras.

Envíanos tu solicitud, queremos que estudies con nosotros, no importa en qué parte del mundo estés.

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny

Consejera del MFA en Línea

Universidad de Texas en El Paso. Para preguntas sobre el programa, por favor contactar a [email protected]

Preguntas sobre el proceso de admisión, por favor contactar a Samantharai Yrigoyen [email protected]

Program Information:

For prospective students, faq’s, step by step process, application check list, for current students, online mfa faculty, connect with us.

The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Creative Writing Education Building, Room 901 Additional Emails English: [email protected] Español: [email protected] MFA Online: [email protected] Undergrad: [email protected] 500 W University Ave El Paso, Texas 79968

E: [email protected] P: (915) 747-5237

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Creative Writing Master's

Want more info.

We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.

Why Earn a Creative Writing Master's?

The M.A. program in Creative Writing offers training in the writing of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Each master's student in Creative Writing divides coursework evenly between workshop and literature classes, leading to the writing of an original thesis submitted in fulfillment of the degree plan.

You'll have the opportunity both to work closely with the creative writing and literature faculties and to explore ways in which knowledge of literary traditions develops craft. The concentration in creative writing requires you to take workshops in fiction, poetry and/or creative nonfiction alongside a range of literature courses.

Many recent M.A. students have gone on to further study in elite M.F.A. or Ph.D. programs, including the Ph.D. Program at Stanford and the M.F.A. program at the University of Houston.

• Construct persuasive, evidence-based arguments
• Communicate findings clearly and concisely
• Understand historical and cultural perspectives
• Evaluate critically sources and narratives
• Prepare oral and written presentations

Creative Writing Master's Highlights

What can you do with a creative writing master's.

Students pursue the degree in order to become better writers, able to create prose and poetry that draw on a full range of the craft. On a more practical level, MFA students become better writers, which prepares them for a variety of careers: an array of jobs in technical and digital fields, marketing, public relations, journalism, arts administration, and editing.

Creative Writing Master's Courses You Could Take

Learn More About UNT

Explore more options.

English Master's

English Creative Writing Ph.D.

It’s easy to apply online. Join us and discover why we’re the choice of nearly 47,000 students.

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

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Creative Writing (M.F.A.)

M.f.a creative writing.

• Apply Today
• Review Admission Requirements

Program Overview

The M.F.A. program offers students access to incredible resources, including readings and master classes given by acclaimed visiting writers, agent and editor talks, and facilities like the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center in Kyle and the Clark House in Smithville. Each year, two graduates of the program hold residencies in these literary landmarks.

Course Work

The program requires 48 semester hours, including:

• writing workshops
• form and theory
• literary techniques
• minor or cognate (other than creative writing)
• thesis credit leading to the production of a book-length work of literary merit

Students may take literature courses in either poetry or fiction, but workshop classes are limited to students who are studying that particular genre. Students may also receive course credit for work on Porter House Review , the program's literary journal.

What Our Alumni Say

“The Texas State M.F.A. program helped shape the writer I am today. I worked with a faculty of amazing writers and insightful mentors, and I found a community of creatives that has lasted long past graduation. I’m forever grateful for my years at Texas State.”

— Owen Egerton, M.F.A. ’05, Screenwriter and Novelist

Program Details

Recent graduates have won a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford, an AWP prize for Best Novel, and an honorable mention for the PEN/Faulkner Award.

Program Mission

The program provides students with graduate-level knowledge of literature and theory, as well as the skills to function as advanced practitioners within their genre. Students will demonstrate their development as artists through proficiency with the elements of craft in their area of concentration, along with a mature understanding of writerly process and discipline.

Career Options

The M.F.A. is considered a terminal degree, which means that graduates can teach at a university level. Many graduates are working practitioners of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and screenplays and also possess highly-developed writing skills that are valuable in a wide variety of work environments. Graduates of the Texas State program are competitive with literature doctoral students.

Program Faculty

Our program offers students the opportunity to learn from renowned writers and committed mentors. Students workshop with Tim O'Brien, Naomi Shihab Nye, and our Endowed Chair, a position held on a rotating basis by internationally acclaimed writers, most recently by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Tea Obreht, and Karen Russell. They also work closely with our full-time faculty, including Doug Dorst, Jennifer duBois, Tom Grimes, and Debra Monroe in fiction, as well as Cyrus Cassells, Cecily Parks, Kathleen Peirce, Roger Jones, and Steve Wilson in poetry.

Contact us for general questions about your application, funding opportunities, and more. If you have specific questions after reviewing the program details, contact the program's graduate advisor.

Graduate Advisor Debra Monroe [email protected] 512.422.9768 Flowers Hall (FH)

Apply Now Already know that Texas State is right for you?

• Start Your Application

Application Process

Review requirements, submit application, upload documents, check status, application deadlines.

This program's deadline is firm. This type of deadline means the application and other application requirements must be submitted by the program's specified deadline day.

Admission Requirements

The items required for admission consideration are listed below.  Additional information for applicants with international credentials can be found on our  international web pages .

Application

• Completed  online application

Review  important information  about the online application.

Application Fee

• $55 Nonrefundable application fee, OR
• $90 Nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials

Review  important information  about application fees.

Transcripts & GPA

• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
• a copy of an official transcript from  each institution  where course credit was granted
• minimum 2.75 GPA in your  last 60 hours  of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)

Review important information about transcripts. Official transcripts, sent directly from your institution, will be required if admission is granted.

Effective Fall 2024

• a 2.75 overall GPA or 2.75 GPA in your  last 60 hours  of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)

Test Scores

• GRE not required

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our  exempt countries list .

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
• minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Review important information about official test scores.

• How do you hope to use this time to grow as a writer? You might additionally choose to address scholarly goals, professional goals, and/or what you see as the benefits of living and working in a community that embraces individuals from all backgrounds.
• submit as a PDF file
• If you are applying for an Instructional or Teaching Assistantship, all letters should also discuss your potential as a teacher
• Fiction applicants should submit a maximum of 25 double-spaced pages of their work (short stories and/or a novel excerpts)
• Poetry applicants should submit 12-15 poems
• Both Fiction and Poetry applicants may, if they choose, also include one creative nonfiction essay or excerpt in their portfolio, subject to the same 25-page maximum for the manuscript in total

Review important information about documents.

Additional Information

• Application Decisions
• International Applicants
• Reapplication Process

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Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

It's a great time to get into Creative Writing and find the best school for your undergraduate Creative Writing degree on our list of the Best Creative Writing Colleges and Universities in Texas.

The University of Texas at Austin

4 Year  •  Austin ,  TX  •  9 reviews

The University of Texas at Austin is a public university based in Austin , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 8,381 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 36 %.

# 1 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Southern Methodist University

4 Year  •  Dallas ,  TX  •  4 reviews

Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit university based in Dallas , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 1,423 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 48 %.

# 2 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Texas Christian University

4 Year  •  Fort Worth ,  TX  •  3 reviews

Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit university based in Fort Worth , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 1,955 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 41 %.

# 3 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

University of Houston

4 Year  •  Houston ,  TX  •  5 reviews

University of Houston is a public university based in Houston , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,959 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 61 %.

# 4 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Austin College

4 Year  •  Sherman ,  TX

Austin College is a private not-for-profit university based in Sherman , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 332 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 52 %.

# 5 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Texas Wesleyan University

4 Year  •  Fort Worth ,  TX

Texas Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit university based in Fort Worth , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 306 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 34 %.

# 6 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Stephen F Austin State University

4 Year  •  Nacogdoches ,  TX

Stephen F Austin State University is a public university based in Nacogdoches , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 2,340 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 65 %.

# 7 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

Austin Community College District

2-4 Year  •  Austin ,  TX  •  4 reviews

Austin Community College District is a public university based in Austin , Texas .

# 8 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

The University of Texas at El Paso

4 Year  •  El Paso ,  TX  •  4 reviews

The University of Texas at El Paso is a public university based in El Paso , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 3,583 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 100 %.

# 9 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

McMurry University

4 Year  •  Abilene ,  TX

McMurry University is a private not-for-profit university based in Abilene , Texas . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 246 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 43 %.

# 10 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Texas

B.A. in English Creative Writing Concentration

The Bachelor of Arts in English degree provides a broad foundation in the study of writing and texts, including literature, film and media, and rhetoric. Students with a concentration in Creative Writing choose advanced workshop-style courses in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and other forms of creative written expression. The degree culminates with a Senior Seminar in Fiction Writing or Poetry Writing.

General Requirements

In addition to general education requirements, all English majors take 36 hours of English courses, which include First-Year English and Sophomore Literature courses.

The following advanced English courses are required for all majors, regardless of concentration:

• Early Literature courses
• Single Author course
• 4000-level course

Students may satisfy multiple requirements with one course.

B.A. in English Creative Writing

• Explore Course Catalog

MFA in Creative Writing

Degree Requirements    |   Getting Started   |   Institution and Advisor   |   FAQs  

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) offers a bilingual, fully-online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. The goal of this unique bilingual program is to prepare writers for the publishing marketplace and for teaching and editing careers, both in the United States and Latin America.

Degree Requirements

The degree plan consists of 42 credits of coursework, followed by 6 credits of thesis during which the student completes a publishable manuscript in poetry or fiction. Refer to the Online MFA Curriculum page for a listing of available courses and course descriptions. Spanish is not a requirement for admission.

Many online MFA in Creative Writing courses are open to cross-campus enrollment. Check with your program advisor prior to registering for any of cross-campus courses to ensure they apply toward your degree program, and non-UTEP students who want to take MFA courses must get permission from the MFA Advisor.

To view Online MFA in Creative Writing program courses currently open for cross-campus registration, go to the Student Portal Course Schedule and select Creative Writing-Bilingual (MFA) from the Finish@UT Program menu, or search for a specific course name/number. UTEP students should refer to the UTEP Course Schedule and register directly through your home campus.

Getting Started

Interested in applying? Be sure to review the Online MFA Application Process , Application Check List , and FAQs . If you have any questions regarding the application process after reviewing this information, please contact Coordinator of Graduate Enrollment, Sally Vasko .

Refer to the Student Support section of our website for additional information on cross-campus registration and course access.

Institution and Program Advisor

Degree Awarded: Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Program Advisor:

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny

Please send program-related questions to  [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to questions such as, "Do I need to know Spanish to be admitted into the program?" and, "Who do I contact about financial aid?" on the MFA Online website .

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The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs

College Info

Finding a dedicated creative writing program at a school you're excited about can be a real challenge, and that's even before you start worrying about getting in. Nonetheless, there are some great options. In order to help you find the best school for you, this list rounds up some of the best colleges for creative writing in the United States .

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

You should never take college rankings as absolute truth —not even the very official-seeming US News ones. Instead, use these kinds of lists as a jumping-off place for your own exploration of colleges. Pay attention not just to what the rankings are but to how the rankings are determined.

To help with that, I'll explain how I came up with this highly unscientific list of great creative writing colleges. I started by narrowing my search down to schools that offered a specific creative writing major. (If you don't see a school you were expecting, it's likely because they only have a minor.)

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

• #1: MFA Ranking —If a school has a great graduate creative writing program, it means you'll be taught by those same professors and the excellent graduate students they attract. Schools with strong MFA programs are also more likely to have solid alumni networks and internship opportunities. However, many schools with great undergrad programs do not offer MFAs, in which case I simply focused on the other four options.
• #2: General School Reputation —The vast majority of your classes won't be in creative writing, so it's important that other parts of the school, especially the English department, are great as well.
• #3: Extracurricular Opportunities —One of the key advantages of majoring in creative writing is that it can provide access to writing opportunities outside the classroom, so I took what kind of internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines the school offers into consideration.
• #4: Diversity of Class Options —I gave extra points to schools with a variety of genre options and specific, interesting classes.
• #5: Alumni/Prestige —This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers? Certainly it's less important than what kind of education you'll actually get, but having a brand-name degree (so to speak) can be helpful.

The Best Creative Writing Schools

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of schools! The exact numbering is always arguable, so look at it as a general trend from absolutely amazing to still super great, rather than fixating on why one school is ranked #3 and another is ranked #4.

#1: Northwestern University

Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program boasts acclaimed professors and an unparalleled track record of turning out successful writers (including Divergent author Veronica Roth and short-story writer Karen Russell).

Outside the classroom, you can work on the student-run literary journal, intern at a publication in nearby Chicago, or submit to the Department of English's yearly writing competition . The university is also home to a top journalism program , so if you want to try your hand at nonfiction as well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

#2: Columbia University

Like Northwestern, Columbia is home to both a world-class creative writing program and a top journalism school (plus one of the best English departments in the country), so you have a wide range of writing-related course options. Columbia also benefits from its location in New York City, which is bursting at the seams with publishing houses, literary journals, and talented authors.

#3: University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's big draw is the infrastructure of its graduate Writers' Workshop, which is often considered the best MFA program in the country.

As an English and Creative Writing major here, you'll take classes from great young writers and established professors alike, and get to choose from a wide range of topics. This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus. You'll also have access to the university's impressive literary community, including frequent readings, writing prizes and scholarships, and the acclaimed literary journal The Iowa Review .

#4: Emory University

Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program , which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers. Students here have the chance to attend intimate question-and-answer sessions with award-winning authors, study a range of genres, compete for writing awards and scholarships, and work closely with an adviser to complete an honors project.

#5: Oberlin College

A small liberal arts school in Ohio, Oberlin offers very different advantages than the schools above do. You'll have fewer opportunities to pursue writing in the surrounding city, but the quality of the teachers and the range of courses might make up for that. Moreover, it boasts just as impressive alumni, including actress and writer Lena Dunham.

#6: Hamilton College

Hamilton is another small college, located in upstate New York. It's known for giving students the freedom to pursue their interests and the support to help them explore topics in real depth, both inside and outside the classroom. Hamilton's creative writing program takes full advantage with small classes and lots of opportunities to intern and publish; it also has one of the best writing centers in the country.

#7: Brown University

Brown's Literary Arts program offers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major . For the major, you must take four creative writing workshops and six reading-intensive courses, which span an array of departments and topics, from music and literature to Middle East studies and Egyptology.

#8: Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University has an excellent creative writing MFA program, lots of super specific class options, and a number of scholarships specifically earmarked for creative writing students. This school’s undergraduate English program also offers a concentration in creative writing that allows students to specialize in a specific genre: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. If you’re interested in exploring your potential in a specific writing genre, Washington University could be a great pick for you.

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT might not be a school you generally associate with writing, but it actually has an excellent program that offers courses in digital media and science writing, as well as creative writing, and provides plenty of guidance on how graduates can navigate the tricky job market.

Not to mention the school is located in Cambridge, a haven for book lovers and writers of all kinds. Though it probably isn’t a good fit for students who hate science, MIT is a great place for aspiring writers who want to build writing skills that are marketable in a wide range of industries.

#10: University of Michigan

University of Michigan is one of the best state universities in the country and has a top-notch MFA program. This school’s undergrad creative writing sub-concentration requires students to submit applications for admittance to advanced creative writing courses. These applications give students crucial practice in both building a writing portfolio and articulating their interest in creative writing to an audience who will evaluate their work. If you're looking to attend a big school with a great creative writing major, this is a fantastic choice.

#11: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins is another school that's known more for engineering than it is for writing, but, like MIT, it has a dedicated writing program. As a major here, you must take not only courses in prose, poetry, and literature, but also classes on topics such as philosophy and history.

#12: Colorado College

Colorado College is a small liberal arts school known for its block plan , which allows students to focus on one class per three-and-a-half-week block. The creative writing track of the English major includes a sequence of four writing workshops and also requires students to attend every reading of the Visiting Writers Series.

Bonus School: New York University

I didn't include NYU in the main list because it doesn't have a dedicated creative writing major, but it's a great school for aspiring writers nonetheless, offering one of the most impressive creative writing faculties in the country and all the benefits of a Manhattan location.

How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. (The football fans are completely terrifying, for one thing.) So where should you go then?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking at creative writing programs to help you determine the best school for you:

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different. For example, if you want to write sonnets but the school focuses more on teaching fiction, it probably won't be a great fit for you.

Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops! In most programs, you'll be taking a lot of these, too.

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

I touched on this idea in the criteria section, but it's important enough that I want to reiterate it here. Some of the best writing experience you can get is found outside the classroom, so see what kind of writing-related extracurriculars a school has before committing to it.

Great options include getting involved with the campus newspaper, working on the school's literary journal, or interning at the university press.

Who Will Be Teaching You?

Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? Check teacher ratings on Rate My Professors (but make sure to read the actual reviews—and always take them with a grain of salt).

If you're looking at a big school, there's a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. But that's not necessarily a bad thing: a lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students. Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has. If there's a great creative writing MFA program, then the graduate students are likely to be better writers and more engaged teachers.

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

If you have a sense of what you want to do after you graduate, see if any alumni of the program are pursuing that type of career. The stronger the alumni network is, the more connections you'll have when it comes time to get a job.

What About the Rest of the School?

Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it. Most of your time will be spent doing other things, whether hanging out in the dorms, exploring off campus, or fulfilling general education requirements.

Many schools require you to apply to the creative writing major, so make doubly sure you'll be happy with your choice even if you aren't accepted to the program.

What's Next?

Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you? Read our post on the pros and cons of the major to help you decide what path to take in college.

For more general advice about choosing a college, check out our complete guide to finding the right school for you. Some major factors to consider include deciding whether you're interested in a small college or a big university , an in-state or out-of-state institution , and a public or private school .

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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New Writers Project M.F.A.

The New Writers Project at the University of Texas at Austin is a small, fully-funded , three-year studio MFA program within the large and highly-ranked Department of English. We offer our students close mentorship, literary community, and teaching and editing experience. Working in concert with our partner MFA program, the Michener Center for Writers , we provide our students an artistically adventurous and intellectually rigorous terminal degree, with courses taught by both experienced and accomplished resident faculty and esteemed visitors.

The New Writers Project core faculty in fiction are Edward Carey, Oscar Cásares, Peter LaSalle, Elizabeth McCracken, and Deb Olin Unferth. Our core faculty in poetry are Lisa Olstein, Roger Reeves, and Jennifer Chang. 

For more information about the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing and how to apply, please visit the  New Writers Project website .

New Writers Project M.F.A. in Creative Writing

The New Writers Project at the University of Texas at Austin is a small, fully-funded, three-year studio MFA program within the large and highly-ranked Department of English. We offer our students close mentorship, literary community, and teaching and editing experience. Working in concert with our partner MFA program, the Michener Center for Writers, we provide our students an artistically adventurous and intellectually rigorous terminal degree, with courses taught by both experienced and accomplished resident faculty and esteemed visitors.

The New Writers Project core faculty in fiction are Edward Carey, Oscar Cásares, Bret Anthony Johnston, Peter LaSalle, Elizabeth McCracken, and Deb Olin Unferth. Our core faculty in poetry are Lisa Olstein, Roger Reeves, and Jennifer Chang. 

Creative Writing Certificate Program

Illustration by valerie tran, announcements, admission applications.

The deadline for applying to the Creative Writing Certificate Program was March 1.  We are no longer accepting applications at this time.  The next application window is September 1 - October 1, 2024.

Creative Writing Certificate Program End-of-Semester Reception and Readings

Please join us on Wednesday, May 1 , in the Joynes Reading Room (Carothers Residence Hall) for our end-of-semester celebration.

Reception begins at 12:30pm with food and refreshments.

Writing Awards and Readings begin at 1:00pm

Creative Writing Honors Thesis Readings begin at 2:00pm.

Please feel free to come to all or part of the program.  Family and friends are welcome!

Writing Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations to the Winners of the Kruger Fellowships and Parker Prizes for student writing. 

KRUGER Fiction 

1st Place     Lara Palmqvist - "In Another Life"

Runner-up   Stephanie Degnore - "Where the Light Shines Brightest"

Runner-up   Varun Jawarani - "Lakshana"

KRUGER Poetry  

1st Place     Aguilar Alfredo - "After Three Beers My Tia Talks About The Border"

Runner-up   Safiyya Haider - "Assimilation Is Performance Art" 

PARKER Fiction

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Bolt from the Blue"

Runner-up    Charlie Sharpe - "A Horse of Course” 

Runner-up    Ashley Rummel - "The Artists" 

PARKER Poetry

1st Place      Leah Piñon - "The World Ends Through the Mirrors in Your House"

Runner-up    Boppana Pradhitha - "Alternate Methods of Crying"

PARKER Lit Crit

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Celestial, Beautiful, and Social Bodies" 

Runner-up    Lane Dent - “Our False Perception of Nature”,

Congratulations to all the contest winners and honors thesis students! 

Ongoing Opportunities

Check back often for more links to publishing, contest, and internship opportunities.

• Writer's League of Texas
• Texas Book Festival
• Poets and Writers Magazine
• Tab Option 4
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The Writers' League of Texas provides internship, networking, literary, and educational opportunities in Austin and around the state, as well as an annual conference featuring literary agents and editors. 

The Texas Book Festival , one of the largest in the country, takes place annually in late October / early November, but offers volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Poets and Writers magazine lists contests, fellowships, grants, and literary journals for writers of all levels.