Elgin, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Elgin has a population of about 114,106. Median household income is $88,316 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.0% 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 Elgin
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Elgin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Elgin 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 Elgin.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,363
Avg net price
$29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 167
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
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
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
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
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
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 Elgin
Elgin 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.
Elgin at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 114,106 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $88,316 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 26.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Elgin-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- South Elgin, IL – 3.4 mi away (24,921 pop)
- Carpentersville, IL – 6.1 mi away (38,291 pop)
- Bartlett, IL – 7.2 mi away (41,178 pop)
- Streamwood, IL – 7.5 mi away (40,166 pop)
- Saint Charles, IL – 8.3 mi away (32,717 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Elgin, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Elgin. The closest is College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL (18.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DePaul University (37.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Elgin?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Elgin 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 South Elgin instead of Elgin?
South Elgin, IL is 3.4 miles from Elgin 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 Elgin an affordable place to study creative writing?
Elgin’s median household income of $88,316 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elgin 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 Elgin, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Elgin, IL
- Social Work programs in Elgin, IL
- Counseling programs in Elgin, 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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