Best Creative Writing Schools Near Chicopee, MA (2026)

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

Chicopee, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Chicopee has a population of about 55,213. Median household income is $66,927 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Springfield, MA metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $86,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Chicopee

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

Western New England University

Springfield, MA 5.0 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,157
Avg net price $27,290/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, MA 8.4 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,383
Avg net price $14,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 10.5 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,938
Avg net price $24,034/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 14.7 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,631
Avg net price $22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Clark University

Worcester, MA 38.6 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,381
Avg net price $28,714/yr
Tuition
In‑state$58,867
Out‑of‑state$58,867
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Great Barrington, MA 41.4 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,543
Avg net price $31,625/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA 49.0 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,874
Avg net price $14,262/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA 65.2 miles from Chicopee
  • 4 year
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,803
Avg net price $25,496/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Chicopee

Chicopee is part of the Springfield, MA metro area (BLS area code 44140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$85,260MA statewide$88,720
Editor$58,460Springfield, MA$60,832
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$86,410Springfield, MA$89,917

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.

Chicopee at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,213Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,927Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chicopee-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Chicopee, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Chicopee. The closest is Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, MA (4.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Massachusetts-Amherst (14.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Chicopee are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($86,410), Writer and Author ($85,260), Editor ($58,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Holyoke instead of Chicopee?

Holyoke, MA is 4.3 miles from Chicopee 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 Chicopee an affordable place to study creative writing?

Chicopee’s median household income of $66,927 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicopee while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Chicopee

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

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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