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2023 Best Value Colleges for Creative Writing in the Great Lakes Region

33 Ranked Colleges
863 Degrees Awarded
$19,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in creative writing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great creative writing programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the creative writing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region creative writing students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Creative Writing in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students per year to attend BGSU.

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

2

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s creative writing students 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 yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

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

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students 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 University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region creative writing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Purdue

4
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

WMU also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Read full report on Creative Writing at WMU

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul also took the #14 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $31,174 for great lakes region creative writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Creative Writing Report

6

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

OHIO Athens also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

Read more about Creative Writing at OHIO Athens

7

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 53 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students per year to attend UC.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

8
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 20 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend Central Michigan.

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%.

Full Central Michigan Creative Writing Report

9
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 10 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,127 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read more about Creative Writing at Eastern Michigan

10
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Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Oakland

11

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at University of Wisconsin - Madison

12
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,214 for great lakes region creative writing students.

Read more about Creative Writing at Northern Michigan University

13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $13,092 for great lakes region creative writing students.

Full UW - Green Bay Creative Writing Report

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students list, UIUC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region creative writing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in University Center, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s creative writing 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 $14,279 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Saginaw Valley State University

16
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $26,258 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Full Columbia Creative Writing Report

17

Miami University - Oxford ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Miami University - Oxford, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Creative Writing Report

18

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,285 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

19

Cleveland State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 9 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region creative writing students.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Cleveland State University

20

With a ranking of #20, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,117 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend Kent State.

Full Kent State Creative Writing Report

21

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 9 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Creative Writing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Indiana University - Bloomington

22

Baldwin Wallace University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Berea, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $25,361 for great lakes region creative writing students per year to attend Baldwin Wallace College.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Baldwin Wallace College

23
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UE is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UE, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UE is $22,912 for great lakes region creative writing students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full University of Evansville Creative Writing Report

24
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region creative writing students list, Augustana has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,489 for great lakes region creative writing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Augustana Creative Writing Report

25
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 21 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Creative Writing Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $20,548 for great lakes region creative writing students.

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.

Full Knox Creative Writing Report

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