New Bedford, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $44,418 to $87,648 per year for indexed programs. New Bedford has a population of about 100,731. Median household income is $56,025 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $79,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Creative Writing Schools to New Bedford
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near New Bedford, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from New Bedford 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 New Bedford.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,725
Avg net price
$29,822/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,865
Avg net price
$17,707/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 96
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,803
Avg net price
$25,496/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,494
Avg net price
$25,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 60
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
51%
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,832
Avg net price
$49,180/yr
TuitionIn‑state$57,056
Out‑of‑state$57,056
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,238
Avg net price
$24,402/yr
TuitionIn‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 228
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$143,372
Avg net price
$20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$101,817
Avg net price
$19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 174
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts creative writing page.
Creative Writing Wages Near New Bedford
New Bedford is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Writer and Author | $70,620 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $69,371 |
| Editor | $76,180 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $74,833 |
| English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary | $79,190 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $77,790 |
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.
New Bedford at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 100,731 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,025 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 16.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 101.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other New Bedford-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- Fall River, MA – 8.7 mi away (88,930 pop)
- Taunton, MA – 17.9 mi away (56,843 pop)
- East Providence, RI – 23.3 mi away (47,337 pop)
- Newport, RI – 23.5 mi away (24,779 pop)
- Warwick, RI – 25.4 mi away (81,579 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near New Bedford, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near New Bedford. The closest is Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI (16.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Providence College (28.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near New Bedford?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near New Bedford are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($79,190), Editor ($76,180), Writer and Author ($70,620). 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 Fall River instead of New Bedford?
Fall River, MA is 8.7 miles from New Bedford 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 New Bedford an affordable place to study creative writing?
New Bedford’s median household income of $56,025 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Bedford 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
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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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