Best Creative Writing Schools Near Waukesha, WI (2026)

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

Waukesha, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $33,396 to $48,840 per year for indexed programs. Waukesha has a population of about 8,479. Median household income is $126,286 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.9% 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 Waukesha

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

University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Kenosha, WI 31.9 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,129
Avg net price $11,772/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Beloit College

Beloit, WI 52.9 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,260
Avg net price $21,526/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI 58.7 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,792
Avg net price $17,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 246

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lakeland University

Plymouth, WI 60.4 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
43.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,961
Avg net price $24,212/yr
Tuition
In‑state$33,396
Out‑of‑state$33,396
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI 86.9 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,789
Avg net price $23,401/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,982
Out‑of‑state$56,982
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Norbert College

De Pere, WI 99.6 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,363
Avg net price $26,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Green Bay, WI 106.5 miles from Waukesha
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,528
Avg net price $13,369/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Creative Writing Wages Near Waukesha

Waukesha 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$63,910Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$65,955
Editor$66,560Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$68,689
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$85,180Milwaukee-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.

Waukesha at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population8,479Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$126,286Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Waukesha-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Waukesha, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Waukesha. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, WI (31.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwestern University (72.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Waukesha 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 New Berlin instead of Waukesha?

New Berlin, WI is 6.4 miles from Waukesha 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 Waukesha an affordable place to study creative writing?

Waukesha’s median household income of $126,286 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waukesha 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

Other Programs Available in Waukesha

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

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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