Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Chicago has a population of about 2,707,648. Median household income is $75,134 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Editor at a median $80,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Creative Writing Schools to Chicago
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Chicago, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chicago 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 Chicago.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,195
Avg net price
$26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,751
Avg net price
$30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 166
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,712
Avg net price
$20,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 80
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,151
Avg net price
$49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 12
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
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
Avg net price
$36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 168
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois creative writing page.
Creative Writing Wages Near Chicago
Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). 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 | $75,940 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $73,301 |
| Editor | $80,380 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,587 |
| English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary | $78,620 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,888 |
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.
Chicago at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 2,707,648 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $75,134 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 43.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Chicago-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- Cicero, IL – 3.8 mi away (82,992 pop)
- Berwyn, IL – 5.4 mi away (55,748 pop)
- Oak Park, IL – 6.4 mi away (51,774 pop)
- Burbank, IL – 7.7 mi away (28,886 pop)
- Maywood, IL – 8.6 mi away (23,756 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Chicago, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Chicago. The closest is Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Chicago (5.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Chicago?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Chicago are: Editor ($80,380), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,620), Writer and Author ($75,940). 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 Cicero instead of Chicago?
Cicero, IL is 3.8 miles from Chicago 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 Chicago an affordable place to study creative writing?
Chicago’s median household income of $75,134 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicago 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
Other Programs Available in Chicago
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chicago:
- Environmental Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Nutrition programs in Chicago, IL
- Theology programs in Chicago, IL
- Library Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Chicago, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Chicago, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Chicago, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Chicago, IL
- Health Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Chicago, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Chicago, IL
- Interior Design programs in Chicago, IL
- Photography programs in Chicago, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Chicago, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Chicago, IL
- Journalism programs in Chicago, IL
- Public Relations programs in Chicago, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Chicago, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Chicago, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Chicago, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Chicago, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Chicago, IL
- Business Development programs in Chicago, IL
- Construction Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Economics programs in Chicago, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Chicago, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Chicago, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Chicago, IL
- International Business programs in Chicago, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Chicago, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Chicago, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Operations Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Public Administration programs in Chicago, IL
- Real Estate programs in Chicago, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Retail Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Risk Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Statistics programs in Chicago, IL
- Taxation programs in Chicago, IL
- Corrections programs in Chicago, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Chicago, IL
- Criminology programs in Chicago, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Chicago, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Fire Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Legal Services programs in Chicago, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Chicago, IL
- Paralegal programs in Chicago, IL
- Security Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Chicago, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Chicago, IL
- Innovation programs in Chicago, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Chicago, IL
- Software Development programs in Chicago, IL
- User Experience programs in Chicago, IL
- Web Development programs in Chicago, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Chicago, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Chicago, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Chicago, IL
- Public Health programs in Chicago, IL
- Human Resources programs in Chicago, IL
- Project Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Special Education programs in Chicago, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Chicago, IL
- Marketing programs in Chicago, IL
- Finance programs in Chicago, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Chicago, IL
- Sports Management programs in Chicago, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Chicago, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Chicago, IL
- Biology programs in Chicago, IL
- Communications programs in Chicago, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Chicago, IL
- Human Services programs in Chicago, IL
- MBA programs in Chicago, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Chicago, IL
- Nursing programs in Chicago, IL
- Business Administration programs in Chicago, IL
- Computer Science programs in Chicago, IL
- Psychology programs in Chicago, IL
- Education programs in Chicago, IL
- Engineering programs in Chicago, IL
- Technology programs in Chicago, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Chicago, IL
- Healthcare programs in Chicago, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Chicago, IL
- Accounting programs in Chicago, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Chicago, IL
- Social Work programs in Chicago, IL
- Counseling programs in Chicago, 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.
← Back to Best Creative Writing Schools in Illinois (2026)
