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Best Creative Writing Schools Near Decatur, AL (2026)
Updated September 1, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Decatur, Alabama has 2 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $12,180 to $34,172 per year for indexed programs. Decatur has a population of about 57,974. In Alabama, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Writer and Author at a median $66,950 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Creative Writing Schools to Decatur
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Decatur, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Decatur city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Decatur.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary
$62,910
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Decatur at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
87.2 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Decatur-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Decatur, AL?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Decatur. The closest is The University of the South in Sewanee, TN (74.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Alabama (99.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles in Alabama?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles in Alabama are: Writer and Author ($66,950), Editor ($63,330), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($62,910). Wages for Decatur workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Decatur?
Athens, AL is 14.7 miles from Decatur and has its own set of local creative writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: September 1, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
