Best Creative Writing Schools Near Kingston, NY (2026)

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

Kingston, New York has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $44,604 to $53,499 per year for indexed programs. Kingston has a population of about 23,942. Median household income is $65,413 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Editor at a median $101,480 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Kingston

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

St. Thomas Aquinas College

Sparkill, NY 61.4 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,909
Avg net price $19,994/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase, NY 62.8 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,092
Avg net price $18,913/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Manhattanville University

Purchase, NY 63.7 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 87%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,832
Avg net price $20,991/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,604
Out‑of‑state$44,604
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hartwick College

Oneonta, NY 66.0 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
39.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,107
Avg net price $31,320/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, NY 69.1 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,603
Avg net price $41,437/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

CUNY City College

New York, NY 76.7 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,039
Avg net price $3,776/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY 77.5 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
87.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $102,491
Avg net price $21,590/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Long Island University

Brookville, NY 79.4 miles from Kingston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
49.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,950
Avg net price $33,062/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,432
Out‑of‑state$42,432
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Kingston

Kingston is part of the Kingston, NY metro area (BLS area code 28740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and AuthorN/ANY statewide–
Editor$101,480NY statewide$100,775
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$84,850NY statewide$84,260

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.

Kingston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,942Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,413Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kingston-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Kingston, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Kingston. The closest is Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, MA (37.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Manhattanville University (63.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying creative writing roles in New York?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles in New York are: Editor ($101,480), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($84,850). Wages for Kingston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Poughkeepsie instead of Kingston?

Poughkeepsie, NY is 16.7 miles from Kingston 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 Kingston an affordable place to study creative writing?

Kingston’s median household income of $65,413 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kingston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Kingston

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

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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