Best Creative Writing Schools Near McHenry, IL (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McHenry, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. McHenry has a population of about 27,774. Median household income is $86,865 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.5% 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 McHenry

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near McHenry, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McHenry 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:

  • 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 McHenry. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 37.2 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL 39.7 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 40.1 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 46.6 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
36.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,151
Avg net price $49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 46.7 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL 46.9 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,712
Avg net price $20,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 47.0 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 52.1 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois creative writing page.

Creative Writing Wages Near McHenry

McHenry 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$75,940Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$73,301
Editor$80,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,587
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$78,620Chicago-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.

McHenry at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,774Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$86,865Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other McHenry-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near McHenry, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near McHenry. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, WI (30.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Central College (39.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near McHenry?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near McHenry 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 Woodstock instead of McHenry?

Woodstock, IL is 7.5 miles from McHenry 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 McHenry an affordable place to study creative writing?

McHenry’s median household income of $86,865 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McHenry 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 McHenry

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for McHenry:

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)