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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Creative Writing in California

35 Ranked Colleges
522 Degrees Awarded
$40,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

Across California, there were 522 creative writing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered a degree in creative writing. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their creative writing program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Creative Writing Schools

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The creative writing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California”.

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.

Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california creative writing students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Creative Writing in California

1
Antioch University - Los Angeles crest
Antioch University - Los Angeles
Culver City, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Antioch University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Antioch University - Los Angeles is a private not-for-profit institution located in Culver City, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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.

Full Antioch University - Los Angeles Creative Writing Report

2
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of the Arts landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 13 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 CalArts

3
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California College of the Arts. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 16 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full California College of the Arts Creative Writing Report

4
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mills College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California. Mills College is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

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. 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%.

Full Mills College Creative Writing Report

5
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chapman University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Chapman Creative Writing Report

6
Antioch University - Santa Barbara crest
Antioch University - Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Antioch University - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 2 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Antioch University - Santa Barbara Creative Writing Report

7
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Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 12 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University

8

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Creative Writing at University of California - Riverside

9
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

Otis College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 3 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Otis College of Art and Design

10

Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Moraga, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at SMC

11
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 29 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 USFCA

12
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Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California

Dominican University of California landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Rafael, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Creative Writing at Dominican University of California

13
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 full report on Creative Writing at University of Redlands

14
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La Sierra University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #14, La Sierra University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. La Sierra is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full La Sierra University Creative Writing Report

15
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. National University is a fairly large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 25 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 more about Creative Writing at National University

16
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 10 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Cal Baptist Creative Writing Report

17
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s creative writing degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at San Francisco State University

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 45 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at University of Southern California

19
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. Pepperdine University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 8 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at Pepperdine University

20
Berkeley City College crest
Berkeley City College
Berkeley, California

Berkeley City College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 4 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Berkeley City College Creative Writing Report

21

California Institute of Integral Studies ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Creative Writing at California Institute of Integral Studies

22
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University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s creative writing degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 ULV Creative Writing Report

23
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Creative Writing at SDSU

24

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s creative writing students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Creative Writing Report

25
Long Beach City College crest
Long Beach City College
Long Beach, California

With a ranking of #25, Long Beach City College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Creative Writing Major in California list. Long Beach City College is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 5 ’s creative writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Creative Writing at Long Beach City College

Notes and References

References

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