2026 Best Creative Writing Schools in Illinois
Creative Writing is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for creative writing students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Creative Writing in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the creative writing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Creative Writing
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for creative writing. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. There were roughly 19 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern University in the most recent data year. Creative Writing graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. Northwestern University graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans.
See the full creative writing program report for Northwestern University
University Of Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in creative writing, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 96% of students finish within six years. University Of Chicago awarded about 19 creative writing degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $81,002. Typical student debt for the program is $15,854.
Get the full creative writing details for University Of Chicago
A rank of #3 makes Loyola University Chicago one of the top schools for creative writing. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. Loyola University Chicago awarded about 24 creative writing degrees in the most recent data year. Creative Writing graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $58,568 early in their careers. Loyola University Chicago graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans.
See the full creative writing program report for Loyola University Chicago
Depaul University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in creative writing, ranking #4. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Depaul University graduates 68% of students within six years. Depaul University awarded about 23 creative writing degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their creative writing degree from Depaul University earn around $49,334 in the first couple years of their career. Depaul University graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans.
Get the full creative writing details for Depaul University
A rank of #5 makes School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago one of the top schools for creative writing. Set in the city of Chicago, School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago graduates 67% of students within six years. There were roughly 21 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago in the most recent data year. Creative Writing graduates of School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago earn a median of $37,157 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full creative writing program report for School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago
Columbia College Chicago came in at #6 for creative writing this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 52%. There were roughly 52 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Columbia College Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, creative writing degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago generally make around $29,516. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full creative writing program report for Columbia College Chicago
Knox College placed #7 among the best creative writing schools. Located in the town of Galesburg, Knox College is a small private not-for-profit university. About 68% of students finish within six years. About 16 creative writing degrees were awarded at Knox College in the most recent year. Graduates of the creative writing program make about $15,466 in their early career. Knox College graduates carry a median of $26,976 in student loans.
More information about a degree in creative writing from Knox College
More Creative Writing Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 18 schools evaluated.
- 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.
