Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $33,396 to $48,840 per year for indexed programs. Milwaukee has a population of about 569,756. Median household income is $51,888 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $85,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Creative Writing Schools to Milwaukee
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Milwaukee, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Milwaukee 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Milwaukee.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,129
Avg net price
$11,772/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
86%
Graduation rate
48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,961
Avg net price
$24,212/yr
TuitionIn‑state$33,396
Out‑of‑state$33,396
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,260
Avg net price
$21,526/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$73,792
Avg net price
$17,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 246
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
64%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,789
Avg net price
$23,401/yr
TuitionIn‑state$56,982
Out‑of‑state$56,982
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,363
Avg net price
$26,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,528
Avg net price
$13,369/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 69
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Wisconsin schools on the Wisconsin creative writing page.
Creative Writing Wages Near Milwaukee
Milwaukee is part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area (BLS area code 33340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Writer and Author | $63,910 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $65,955 |
| Editor | $66,560 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $68,689 |
| English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary | $85,180 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $87,905 |
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.
Milwaukee at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 569,756 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $51,888 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 26.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Milwaukee-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs
- Wauwatosa, WI – 3.4 mi away (47,945 pop)
- West Allis, WI – 5.1 mi away (60,087 pop)
- Greenfield, WI – 7.3 mi away (36,858 pop)
- Brookfield, WI – 7.9 mi away (38,016 pop)
- Menomonee Falls, WI – 9.8 mi away (36,769 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited creative writing schools are near Milwaukee, WI?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Milwaukee. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, WI (29.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Madison (72.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Milwaukee?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Milwaukee are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($85,180), Editor ($66,560), Writer and Author ($63,910). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Wauwatosa instead of Milwaukee?
Wauwatosa, WI is 3.4 miles from Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee an affordable place to study creative writing?
Milwaukee’s median household income of $51,888 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Milwaukee while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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
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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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