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2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
863 Degrees Awarded
$10,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 6,817 people earned their degree in creative writing, making the major the 120th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 863 creative writing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 33 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in creative writing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent creative writing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the creative writing program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Creative Writing (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 36 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Creative Writing at UChicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Northwestern University

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 46 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Creative Writing Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Purdue

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UIUC Creative Writing Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Creative Writing Report

7
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 24 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $8,756 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Creative Writing at Oberlin

8
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 7 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,872 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Notre Dame

9

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 9 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #22 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Indiana University - Bloomington

10

With a ranking of #10, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 55 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Creative Writing at Miami University - Oxford

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $8,949 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Oakland

12
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #12, Beloit College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit College is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 17 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Beloit not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $7,970 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Beloit

13

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 26 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $14,079 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

14
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 23 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePauw University is $19,503 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full DePauw Creative Writing Report

15

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 53 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,061 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

16
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saginaw Valley State University, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $10,424 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Saginaw Valley State University

17

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $11,665 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Creative Writing at SIUC

18
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $8,958 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Creative Writing at Northern Michigan University

19
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

WMU also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Michigan University Creative Writing Report

20
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $10,805 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Central Michigan University

21
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. UE is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UE also took the #20 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,071 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UE.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UE Creative Writing Report

22
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $12,465 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Michigan Creative Writing Report

23

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Creative Writing at University of Akron Main Campus

24

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 41 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $17,614 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Creative Writing at Ohio University - Athens Campus

25
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $15,657 for great lakes region creative writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Knox College

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