Alton, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Alton has a population of about 25,430. Median household income is $53,005 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $78,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Creative Writing Schools to Alton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Alton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Alton 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 Alton.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,802
Avg net price
$18,460/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,390
Avg net price
$13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 121
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,054
Avg net price
$14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 177
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,820
Avg net price
$24,595/yr
TuitionIn‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,971
Avg net price
$22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 68
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,123
Avg net price
$21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,885
Avg net price
$14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois creative writing page.
Creative Writing Wages Near Alton
Alton is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Writer and Author | $57,390 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $60,347 |
| Editor | $69,990 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $73,596 |
| English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary | $78,300 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $82,334 |
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.
Alton at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 25,430 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $53,005 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Alton-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- Edwardsville, IL – 11.7 mi away (25,071 pop)
- Florissant, MO – 11.8 mi away (51,776 pop)
- Granite City, IL – 12.1 mi away (28,908 pop)
- Ferguson, MO – 13.1 mi away (20,846 pop)
- Hazelwood, MO – 14.9 mi away (25,443 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Alton, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Alton. The closest is Principia College in Elsah, IL (11.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Webster University (24.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Alton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Alton are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,300), Editor ($69,990), Writer and Author ($57,390). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Edwardsville instead of Alton?
Edwardsville, IL is 11.7 miles from Alton 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.
Is Alton an affordable place to study creative writing?
Alton’s median household income of $53,005 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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.
Learn More About Creative Writing Programs
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- Accounting programs in Alton, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Social Work programs in Alton, IL
- Counseling programs in Alton, IL
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.
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