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Creative Writing

Types of Degrees Creative Writing Majors Are Earning

Those studying Creative Writing may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	47
Associate’s Degree	240
Bachelor’s Degree	3,486
Master’s Degree	3,639
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Creative Writing Majors Need to Know

Programs in Creative Writing emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Creative Writing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Creative Writing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Creative Writing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Creative Writing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Creative Writing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Creative Writing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Lucidchart	Process mapping and design software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Graphics creation software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Creative Writing graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Teacher
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Writing Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Reading Instructor
• English Language Instructor
• English Composition Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Creative Writing graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.9%
Master’s degree	24.5%
Bachelor’s degree	9.4%
Less than a high school diploma	8.9%
Some college courses	7.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.0%
First professional degree	1.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Creative Writing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.2% of Creative Writing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,358	72.2%
Men	2,065	27.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Creative Writing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,747	63.9%
Asian	320	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	876	11.8%
Black or African American	498	6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	40	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.1%
Two or More Races	348	4.7%
Race Unknown	344	4.6%
International Students	244	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Creative Writing Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Creative Writing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,712
4 years	$44,745
5 years	$51,958

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,958 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Creative Writing Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Creative Writing. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	4
Bachelor’s	7	11
Master’s	23	17

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Creative Writing Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Creative Writing graduates earn a median of $44,745 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	23.13
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing	23.1303
Rhetoric and Composition	23.1304
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other	23.1399
Writing, General	23.1301
Children’s and Adolescent Literature	23.1405
General Literature	23.1401
Literature, Other	23.1499

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.