2027 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in New York
[Creative Writing](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/creative-writing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong creative writing education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for creative writing students.
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2027 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in creative writing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Creative Writing Schools
Our analysis ranked Cuny Hunter College the best value for a degree in creative writing in New York. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Hunter College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,382, with out-of-state students paying around $15,332. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $11,091 in student loans. Creative Writing graduates of Cuny Hunter College earn a median of $51,372 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 54%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny Brooklyn College earned it the #2 place for creative writing. Set in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny Brooklyn College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,452, compared with $15,402 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the creative writing program here. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Cuny Brooklyn College generally make around $26,301. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Cuny City College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Cuny City College is a large public school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $7,340, compared with $15,290 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $13,389. Creative Writing graduates of Cuny City College earn a median of $53,154 early in their careers. Set against $13,389 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Suffolk County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in creative writing, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,630, compared with $12,460 for out-of-state students. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $11,246 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Suffolk County Community College generally make around $35,667. Set against $11,246 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Nassau Community College earned it the #5 place for creative writing. Set in the suburb of Garden City, Nassau Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,330, compared with $12,130 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $11,850. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Nassau Community College generally make around $38,734. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Suny College At Buffalo ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Set in the city of Buffalo, Suny College At Buffalo is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,533, compared with $19,653 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $20,250. Creative Writing graduates of Suny College At Buffalo earn a median of $39,412 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Suny College At Oswego landed the #7 spot for creative writing value this year. Located in the town of Oswego, Suny College At Oswego is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,825 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,735 for out-of-state students. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Creative Writing graduates of Suny College At Oswego earn a median of $28,103 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Tompkins Cortland Community College came in at #8 for value in creative writing this year. Located in the rural area of Dryden, Tompkins Cortland Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,970, while out-of-state students pay about $12,855. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $20,750 in student loans. Creative Writing graduates of Tompkins Cortland Community College earn a median of $48,393 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Suny College At Potsdam ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Set in the town of Potsdam, Suny College At Potsdam is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,768 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,678. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $27,000. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $20,455. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Stony Brook University landed the #10 spot for creative writing value this year. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,931, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,537 to complete the creative writing program here. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Stony Brook University generally make around $34,855. That is a strong return on a $20,537 median debt. The acceptance rate is 49%.
Suny At Purchase College ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Located in the suburb of Purchase, Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,016, compared with $19,266 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $16,556. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York came in at #12 for value in creative writing this year. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $36,959. Set against $23,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Suny At Binghamton placed #13 among the best values for creative writing. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,567, while out-of-state students pay about $30,447. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the creative writing program here. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $24,377. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Hamilton College came in at #14 for value in creative writing this year. Set in the suburb of Clinton, Hamilton College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,960 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,131 to complete the creative writing program here. Creative Writing graduates of Hamilton College earn a median of $28,442 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
Ithaca College ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Located in the suburb of Ithaca, Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $52,616 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Ithaca College generally make around $26,443. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
New York University landed the #16 spot for creative writing value this year. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Students borrow a median of $21,897 to complete the creative writing program here. Creative Writing graduates of New York University earn a median of $46,292 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,897 median debt. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
Syracuse University came in at #17 for value in creative writing this year. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. In-state tuition and fees average $65,528. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $24,935. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Sarah Lawrence College came in at #18 for value in creative writing this year. Sarah Lawrence College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bronxville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,862. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $24,245. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Sarah Lawrence College generally make around $32,159. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Sarah Lawrence College admits about 62% of applicants.
Pratt Institute Main came in at #19 for value in creative writing this year. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute Main is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,845. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $18,842. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
The New School earned the #20 position for value in creative writing this year. The New School is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $58,730. Students borrow a median of $24,460 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $37,792. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
More Creative Writing Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 20 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
