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Creative writing teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a creative writing teacher. Creative writing teachers usually study english, writing, or elementary education. 67% of creative writing teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,004 real creative writing teacher resumes to see exactly what creative writing teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for creative writing teachers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online creative writing teacher courses to help get the education required to be a creative writing teacher.
There are certain creative writing teacher certifications that you should consider. These creative writing teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a creative writing teacher?
What degree do you need to be a creative writing teacher?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a creative writing teacher?
Most common colleges for creative writing teachers
| Creative writing teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 18.40% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 8.00% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 7.20% |
| Montclair State University | 5.60% |
| Florida State University | 4.80% |
Best majors for creative writing teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 29.0% |
| 2 | Writing | 11.4% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 8.0% |
| 4 | Education | 7.2% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.7% |
Best colleges for creative writing teachers
The best colleges for creative writing teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A creative writing teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for creative writing teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become creative writing teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for creative writing teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for creative writing teachers
The most affordable schools for creative writing teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for creative writing teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for creative writing teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for creative writing teachers
The hardest universities for creative writing teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for creative writing teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for creative writing teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for creative writing teachers
The easiest schools for creative writing teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, san francisco state university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a creative writing teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for creative writing teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
7. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
10. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
Average creative writing teacher salary by education level
| Creative writing teacher education level | Creative writing teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,980 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,963 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,541 |
Creative writing teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025