Creative Writing Schools
There are 328 accredited creative writing schools in the country. As a professor or instructor of creative writing classes at one of these schools, you play a critical role in shaping the future of this growing field. The following statistics and charts help analyze the current state of the creative writing academic community and the future trends. Academia in creative writing includes creative writing training at the following levels:
- Creative Writing Certificate
- Associates degree in Creative Writing
- Bachelors degree in Creative Writing
- Masters degree in Creative Writing
- PhD degree in Creative Writing
Statistics
Professional Trends
National Employment growth for Creative writing professionals
| 43,260 | 44,310 | 44,170 | 43,390 | 40,980 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Dark Yellow: Actual Values
40,980 creative writing professionals were working in the US in the year 2010. The number of creative writing professionals has shrunk by 5% between 2006 and 2010.
This decline is faster than the growth for all careers between the years 2006 and 2010, which was 1%. Over the next 7 years, this trend is expected to contine.
National Salary percentiles for Creative writing professionals
10th percentile |
$28,610 |
25th percentile |
$39,330 |
50th percentile |
$55,420 |
75th percentile |
$77,560 |
90th percentile |
$109,440 |
Nationally, the median yearly salary earned by creative writing professionals was $55,420 in 2010. The national median salary for all professions, was $68,155 in the same year. Thus, the median yearly salary for creative writing professionals in the US was 3% less than the national median salary for all professions.
National Median Salary Growth For Creative Writing
| $48,640 | $50,660 | $53,070 | $53,900 | $55,420 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Light Blue: Salaries
Creative writing professionals' salaries have seen a 14% growth from the year 2006 to the year 2010.
Educational Trends
National Creative Writing Student enrollment growth by degree
| 15 | 52 | 26 | 23 | 34 |
| 1,950 | 4,516 | 2,591 | 2,339 | 2,275 |
| 16 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| 2,214 | 5,236 | 2,618 | 2,740 | 2,690 |
| 55 | 78 | 78 | 62 | 37 |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|
- Yellow: Associate's Degree in Creative Writing
- Blue: Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing
- Red: Doctorates Degree in Creative Writing
- Light blue: Master's Degree in Creative Writing
- Grey: Certificate in Creative Writing
The career outlook for creative writing professionals is showing a rapid change. And, on the educational front, the story is similar. In the year 2006 there were 4,250 students who graduated from creative writing degree programs across the country, while in the year 2010, there were 5,045 students graduating from creative writing schools.
Thus, in 4 years, there was a 19% growth in the number of creative writing graduates. The growth nationally for students graduating from institutions of higher learning in general has been 12% from 2006 to 2010. Thus, the growth in the number of students graduating from creative writing courses is greater than the change in the number of students graduating in all disciplines in the US.
Creative Writing Programs offered Nationwide
associate |
14 |
bachelor |
158 |
master |
156 |
doctor |
2 |
Certificate |
9 |
| Total | 339 |
As student graduation numbers are up, the number of schools offering creative writing programs has also increased. In the year 2006, there were 262 creative writing schools in the US. And in the year 2010, there were 328 schools.