Niles, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Niles has a population of about 30,262. Median household income is $78,563 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.0% 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 Niles
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Niles, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Niles 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 Niles.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois creative writing page.
Creative Writing Wages Near Niles
Niles 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.
Niles at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 30,262 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $78,563 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 39.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Niles-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- Morton Grove, IL – 1.5 mi away (23,227 pop)
- Park Ridge, IL – 2.0 mi away (37,496 pop)
- Skokie, IL – 3.6 mi away (64,270 pop)
- Glenview, IL – 3.8 mi away (47,475 pop)
- Des Plaines, IL – 4.7 mi away (58,141 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Niles, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Niles. The closest is Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (6.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Roosevelt University (14.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Niles?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Niles 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 Morton Grove instead of Niles?
Morton Grove, IL is 1.5 miles from Niles 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 Niles an affordable place to study creative writing?
Niles’s median household income of $78,563 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Niles 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 Niles
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Niles:
- Environmental Science programs in Niles, IL
- Nutrition programs in Niles, IL
- Theology programs in Niles, IL
- Library Science programs in Niles, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Niles, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Niles, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Niles, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Niles, IL
- Health Science programs in Niles, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Niles, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Niles, IL
- Interior Design programs in Niles, IL
- Photography programs in Niles, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Niles, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Niles, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Niles, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Niles, IL
- Journalism programs in Niles, IL
- Public Relations programs in Niles, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Niles, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Niles, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Niles, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Niles, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Niles, IL
- Business Development programs in Niles, IL
- Construction Management programs in Niles, IL
- Economics programs in Niles, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Niles, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Niles, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Niles, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Niles, IL
- International Business programs in Niles, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Niles, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Niles, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Niles, IL
- Operations Management programs in Niles, IL
- Public Administration programs in Niles, IL
- Real Estate programs in Niles, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Niles, IL
- Retail Management programs in Niles, IL
- Risk Management programs in Niles, IL
- Statistics programs in Niles, IL
- Taxation programs in Niles, IL
- Corrections programs in Niles, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Niles, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Niles, IL
- Criminology programs in Niles, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Niles, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Niles, IL
- Fire Science programs in Niles, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Niles, IL
- Legal Services programs in Niles, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Niles, IL
- Paralegal programs in Niles, IL
- Security Management programs in Niles, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Niles, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Niles, IL
- Innovation programs in Niles, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Niles, IL
- Software Development programs in Niles, IL
- User Experience programs in Niles, IL
- Web Development programs in Niles, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Niles, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Niles, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Niles, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Niles, IL
- Public Health programs in Niles, IL
- Human Resources programs in Niles, IL
- Project Management programs in Niles, IL
- Special Education programs in Niles, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Niles, IL
- Marketing programs in Niles, IL
- Finance programs in Niles, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Niles, IL
- Sports Management programs in Niles, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Niles, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Niles, IL
- Biology programs in Niles, IL
- Communications programs in Niles, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Niles, IL
- Human Services programs in Niles, IL
- MBA programs in Niles, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Niles, IL
- Nursing programs in Niles, IL
- Business Administration programs in Niles, IL
- Computer Science programs in Niles, IL
- Psychology programs in Niles, IL
- Education programs in Niles, IL
- Engineering programs in Niles, IL
- Technology programs in Niles, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Niles, IL
- Healthcare programs in Niles, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Niles, IL
- Accounting programs in Niles, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Niles, IL
- Social Work programs in Niles, IL
- Counseling programs in Niles, 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)
