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2026 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in District of Columbia

[Creative Writing](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/creative-writing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for creative writing students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Creative Writing Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Creative Writing Schools in District of Columbia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the creative writing degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Creative Writing Schools

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

$67,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,910 Avg Student Debt

$90,873 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 best value for creative writing in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Students borrow a median of $22,910 to complete the creative writing program here. Early-career creative writing graduates make about $73,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 47%.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,139 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

American University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value creative writing schools. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Typical student debt for creative writing graduates is $24,139. Creative Writing graduates of American University earn a median of $54,585 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. American University admits about 62% of applicants.

View All Creative Writing Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.