Best Creative Writing Schools Near Suffolk, VA (2026)

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

Suffolk, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering creative writing programs. Suffolk has a population of about 96,638. Median household income is $90,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Writer and Author at a median $73,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Suffolk

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Suffolk, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Suffolk 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 Suffolk. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 22.7 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $14,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 74.1 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 138.0 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, VA 147.1 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,943
Avg net price $17,758/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 147.4 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Randolph College

Lynchburg, VA 148.7 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,409
Avg net price $15,921/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 152.1 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Hollins University

Roanoke, VA 187.8 miles from Suffolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,075
Avg net price $20,896/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Suffolk

Suffolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$73,460Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$75,036
Editor$59,570Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$60,848
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$65,070Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$66,466

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.

Suffolk at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population96,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,089Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Suffolk-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Suffolk, VA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Suffolk. The closest is Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA (22.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Virginia Commonwealth University (74.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Suffolk are: Writer and Author ($73,460), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($65,070), Editor ($59,570). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chesapeake instead of Suffolk?

Chesapeake, VA is 18.7 miles from Suffolk 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 Suffolk an affordable place to study creative writing?

Suffolk’s median household income of $90,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Suffolk while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Suffolk

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

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 Virginia (2026)