2027 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the New England Region
[Creative Writing](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/creative-writing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for creative writing students.
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2027 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in creative writing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Creative Writing Schools
Colby College earned the #1 spot for value among creative writing schools in the New England Region. Colby College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waterville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,600. Students borrow a median of $22,016 to complete the creative writing program here. Creative Writing graduates of Colby College earn a median of $46,772 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 7% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Southern Maine earned it the #2 place for creative writing. Located in the city of Portland, University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,090, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $23,593. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from University Of Southern Maine generally make around $43,673. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Students looking for strong value in creative writing will find it at Rhode Island College, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Providence, Rhode Island College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,300 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,299. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $23,394. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $45,088. Set against $23,394 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rhode Island College admits about 92% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Harvard University earned it the #4 place for creative writing. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $16,616. Creative Writing graduates of Harvard University earn a median of $95,207 early in their careers. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Salem State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in creative writing, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,338, compared with $19,531 for out-of-state students. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $27,176 in student loans. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $49,656. That is a strong return on a $27,176 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Bay Path College landed the #6 spot for creative writing value this year. Located in the suburb of Longmeadow, Bay Path College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,302. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $29,811 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Bay Path College generally make around $59,424. Set against $29,811 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst placed #7 among the best values for creative writing. Set in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,772, with out-of-state students paying around $40,449. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $25,195 in student loans. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $52,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Western Connecticut State University placed #8 among the best values for creative writing. Western Connecticut State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Danbury. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,401, with out-of-state students paying around $16,901. Students borrow a median of $25,332 to complete the creative writing program here. Creative Writing graduates of Western Connecticut State University earn a median of $47,559 early in their careers. Set against $25,332 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Boston University earned the #9 position for value in creative writing this year. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $25,232. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $63,598. Set against $25,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
University Of New Hampshire Main Campus landed the #10 spot for creative writing value this year. Located in the town of Durham, University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $19,202 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $39,852. Students borrow a median of $26,368 to complete the creative writing program here. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from University Of New Hampshire Main Campus generally make around $27,180. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of New Hampshire Main Campus admits about 88% of applicants.
Brown University came in at #11 for value in creative writing this year. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $71,312. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $10,500. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Brown University generally make around $30,741. Set against $10,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Wellesley College earned the #12 position for value in creative writing this year. Located in the suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,176. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $11,075 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Wellesley College generally make around $48,902. Set against $11,075 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
New England College came in at #13 for value in creative writing this year. Located in the rural area of Henniker, New England College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $27,474. Students borrow a median of $35,038 to complete the creative writing program here. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from New England College generally make around $68,950. That is a strong return on a $35,038 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Bennington College came in at #14 for value in creative writing this year. Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Bennington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,262. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $26,815 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Bennington College generally make around $29,031. Set against $26,815 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 44%.
Lesley University placed #15 among the best values for creative writing. Lesley University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. In-state tuition and fees average $34,256. Students borrow a median of $24,818 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $48,287. That is a strong return on a $24,818 median debt. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Southern New Hampshire University earned the #16 position for value in creative writing this year. Located in the suburb of Manchester, Southern New Hampshire University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,200. Students borrow a median of $33,490 to complete the creative writing program here. Creative Writing graduates of Southern New Hampshire University earn a median of $30,077 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $33,490 median debt. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Fairfield University ranked #17 on our 2027 list of the best value creative writing schools. Set in the suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,400. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $26,687 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Fairfield University generally make around $50,135. Set against $26,687 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 33% of applicants are accepted.
Emerson College came in at #18 for value in creative writing this year. Located in the city of Boston, Emerson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $57,056 in tuition and fees. Creative Writing graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Emerson College generally make around $37,078. Set against $24,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 51% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 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.
