Best Creative Writing Schools Near Olean, NY (2026)

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

Olean, New York has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $10,936 to $34,081 per year for indexed programs. Olean has a population of about 13,798. Median household income is $47,553 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% 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 Olean

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

Villa Maria College

Buffalo, NY 60.3 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
28.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,857
Avg net price $13,494/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY 62.1 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,681
Avg net price $17,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 66.1 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,814
Avg net price $20,995/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,936
Out‑of‑state$31,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 193

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 82.9 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,042
Avg net price $29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY 101.9 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,548
Avg net price $33,926/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,540
Out‑of‑state$53,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 102.8 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 126.4 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,596
Avg net price $21,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,567
Out‑of‑state$30,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 134.3 miles from Olean
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Olean

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (New York, statewide)
Writer and AuthorN/A
Editor$101,480
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$84,850

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.

Olean at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population13,798Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,553Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Olean-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Olean. The closest is University of Pittsburgh-Bradford in Bradford, PA (15.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College (79.6 miles). 2 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 Olean workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Jamestown instead of Olean?

Jamestown, NY is 41.3 miles from Olean 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 Olean an affordable place to study creative writing?

Olean’s median household income of $47,553 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olean 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 Olean

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

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 York (2026)