Best Creative Writing Schools Near Gresham, OR (2026)

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

Gresham, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Gresham has a population of about 112,818. Median household income is $73,608 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $91,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Gresham

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

Portland State University

Portland, OR 11.9 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,906
Avg net price $9,552/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 147

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

George Fox University

Newberg, OR 29.0 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,761
Avg net price $31,679/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR 32.3 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,583
Avg net price $35,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Linfield University

McMinnville, OR 42.3 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,638
Avg net price $26,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR 76.5 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,010
Avg net price $19,604/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 162

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 105.4 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,324
Avg net price $22,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande, OR 211.3 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,112
Avg net price $17,148/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, OR 229.5 miles from Gresham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,175
Avg net price $16,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Gresham

Gresham is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (BLS area code 38900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$87,560Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$83,074
Editor$75,430Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$71,565
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$91,870Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$87,163

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.

Gresham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population112,818Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,608Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gresham-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Gresham, OR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Gresham. The closest is Portland State University in Portland, OR (11.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oregon State University (76.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Gresham are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($91,870), Writer and Author ($87,560), Editor ($75,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Camas instead of Gresham?

Camas, WA is 6.8 miles from Gresham 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 Gresham an affordable place to study creative writing?

Gresham’s median household income of $73,608 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gresham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 Gresham

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

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 Oregon (2026)