Best Creative Writing Schools Near Salem, OR (2026)

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

Salem, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Salem has a population of about 176,666. Median household income is $71,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salem, OR metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $89,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Salem

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

Linfield University

McMinnville, OR 21.0 miles from Salem
  • 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

#2

George Fox University

Newberg, OR 26.4 miles from Salem
  • 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

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR 27.7 miles from Salem
  • 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

#4

Pacific University

Forest Grove, OR 41.5 miles from Salem
  • 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

#5

Portland State University

Portland, OR 43.9 miles from Salem
  • 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

#6

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 60.7 miles from Salem
  • 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

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, OR 189.9 miles from Salem
  • 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

#8

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande, OR 242.0 miles from Salem
  • 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

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Salem

Salem is part of the Salem, OR metro area (BLS area code 41420). 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$80,540OR statewide$77,741
Editor$80,650Salem, OR$77,847
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$89,180Salem, OR$86,081

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.

Salem at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population176,666Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,900Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Salem-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Salem. The closest is Linfield University in McMinnville, OR (21.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Portland State University (43.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Salem are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($89,180), Editor ($80,650), Writer and Author ($80,540). 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 Keizer instead of Salem?

Keizer, OR is 5.5 miles from Salem 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 Salem an affordable place to study creative writing?

Salem’s median household income of $71,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem 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 Salem

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

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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