Best Creative Writing Schools Near Smyrna, TN (2026)

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

Smyrna, Tennessee has 4 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Smyrna has a population of about 55,066. Median household income is $78,409 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $66,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Smyrna

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

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 19.7 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cumberland University

Lebanon, TN 20.3 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,687
Avg net price $18,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN 63.0 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,911
Avg net price $27,872/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 108.3 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 114.3 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 145.3 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 169.7 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 200.8 miles from Smyrna
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Smyrna

Smyrna is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$63,270Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$65,701
Editor$64,250Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$66,719
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$66,170Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$68,712

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.

Smyrna at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,066Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,409Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Smyrna-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Smyrna, TN?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Smyrna. The closest is Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN (19.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Kentucky University (70.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Smyrna are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($66,170), Editor ($64,250), Writer and Author ($63,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in La Vergne instead of Smyrna?

La Vergne, TN is 3.8 miles from Smyrna 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 Smyrna an affordable place to study creative writing?

Smyrna’s median household income of $78,409 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Smyrna while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Smyrna

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

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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