Best Creative Writing Schools Near Paterson, NJ (2026)

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

Paterson, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Paterson has a population of about 157,660. Median household income is $53,766 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Editor at a median $102,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Paterson

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Paterson, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Paterson 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 Paterson. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ 2.9 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,780
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bloomfield College of Montclair State University

Bloomfield, NJ 8.4 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
29.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,415
Avg net price $28,014/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Rutgers University-Newark

Newark, NJ 12.2 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $19,703/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ 12.7 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,196
Avg net price $31,446/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

Madison, NJ 17.1 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,273
Avg net price $22,829/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,004
Out‑of‑state$38,004
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, NJ 44.6 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,991
Avg net price $30,988/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ 83.7 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ 97.4 miles from Paterson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,988
Avg net price $22,408/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,574
Out‑of‑state$26,932
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 184

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Paterson

Paterson is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$81,590NJ statewide$72,460
Editor$102,120New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$90,693
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$96,430New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$85,639

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.

Paterson at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population157,660Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,766Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+12.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)112.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Paterson-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Paterson, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Paterson. The closest is William Paterson University of New Jersey in Wayne, NJ (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia University in the City of New York (12.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Paterson are: Editor ($102,120), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($96,430), Writer and Author ($81,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Elmwood Park instead of Paterson?

Elmwood Park, NJ is 2.3 miles from Paterson 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 Paterson an affordable place to study creative writing?

Paterson’s median household income of $53,766 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paterson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Paterson

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

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 New Jersey (2026)