Best Creative Writing Schools Near Lakewood, WA (2026)

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

Lakewood, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $9,264 to $31,905 per year for indexed programs. Lakewood has a population of about 63,034. Median household income is $70,524 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is Writer and Author at a median $98,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Lakewood

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

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 4.4 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 7.3 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,594
Avg net price $38,394/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 21.9 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,320
Avg net price $24,319/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,264
Out‑of‑state$31,905
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 32.4 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 34.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 35.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 44.2 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
77.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $12,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 94.3 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,580
Avg net price $18,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$98,730Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$88,866
Editor$79,660Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$71,701
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$80,770Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$72,700

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.

Lakewood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population63,034Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,524Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Lakewood, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Lakewood. The closest is Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Seattle Pacific University (34.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Lakewood are: Writer and Author ($98,730), English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($80,770), Editor ($79,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in University Place instead of Lakewood?

University Place, WA is 3.7 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study creative writing?

Lakewood’s median household income of $70,524 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Lakewood

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

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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