50 Best colleges for Creative Writing in New York State

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in New York State ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 223K citations received by 14K academic papers made by 50 universities in New York State was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. Columbia University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#1 in the United States

#2 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $22,520

2. New York University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#12 in the United States

#15 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $30,325

3. Cornell University

Ithaca

For Creative Writing

#17 in the United States

#20 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,361

4. University at Buffalo

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#67 in the United States

#79 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 86%

5. CUNY Graduate School and University Center

New York City

For Creative Writing

#77 in the United States

#91 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Enrollment: 9,536
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1961

6. Syracuse University

Syracuse

For Creative Writing

#79 in the United States

#95 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Average SAT: 1355
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $48,215

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany

For Creative Writing

#85 in the United States

#101 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $11,210
Enrollment: 17,560

8. Stony Brook University

Stony Brook

For Creative Writing

#93 in the United States

#110 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 99%

9. University of Rochester

Rochester

For Creative Writing

#94 in the United States

#111 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1475
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $40,462

10. Barnard College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#121 in the United States

#143 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1515
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $26,407

11. Fordham University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#124 in the United States

#147 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1400
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $48,190

12. Binghamton University

Vestal

For Creative Writing

#137 in the United States

#161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 79%

13. CUNY Hunter College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#146 in the United States

#173 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1260
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,755

14. New School

New York City

For Creative Writing

#152 in the United States

#180 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $67,224
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $22,174

15. Hofstra University

Hempstead

For Creative Writing

#176 in the United States

#205 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $35,792

16. King's College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#185 in the United States

#214 in North America

Net Price: $34,192
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,640
Enrollment: 442

17. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester

For Creative Writing

#213 in the United States

#244 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $39,534

18. CUNY Brooklyn College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#219 in the United States

#253 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1145
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,482

19. Canisius College

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#220 in the United States

#254 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Net Price: $19,666
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,972

20. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

New York City

For Creative Writing

#233 in the United States

#267 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1075
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $9,966

21. CUNY City College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#252 in the United States

#288 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1250
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $9,763

22. CUNY Queens College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#258 in the United States

#296 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1150
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $9,057

23. Vassar College

Poughkeepsie

For Creative Writing

#259 in the United States

#297 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $29,981

24. Long Island University

Brookville

For Creative Writing

#263 in the United States

#301 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $24,867

25. Colgate University

Hamilton

For Creative Writing

#265 in the United States

#303 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $28,736

26. Adelphi University

Garden City

For Creative Writing

#267 in the United States

#305 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $31,303

27. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy

For Creative Writing

#271 in the United States

#309 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1443
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $38,887

28. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York City

For Creative Writing

#280 in the United States

#318 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,261
Male:Female: 38:62
Founded: 1963

29. Bard College

Annandale-On-Hudson

For Creative Writing

#289 in the United States

#327 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1360
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $29,320

30. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#302 in the United States

#342 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1250
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $10,114

31. SUNY Buffalo State

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#307 in the United States

#348 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1110
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,697

32. St John's University - New York

New York City

For Creative Writing

#308 in the United States

#349 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $29,656

33. Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs

For Creative Writing

#309 in the United States

#350 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $31,187

34. Ithaca College

Ithaca

For Creative Writing

#316 in the United States

#357 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $35,253

35. Lehman College, CUNY

New York City

For Creative Writing

#318 in the United States

#359 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1000
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $10,151

36. Pace University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#321 in the United States

#362 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $34,791

37. Yeshiva University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#325 in the United States

#366 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1425
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $39,681

38. College of Staten Island CUNY

New York City

For Creative Writing

#330 in the United States

#372 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 1070
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $8,526

39. State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz

For Creative Writing

#331 in the United States

#373 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 85%

40. Union College

Schenectady

For Creative Writing

#336 in the United States

#379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $42,137

41. Hamilton College

Clinton

For Creative Writing

#346 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $28,719

42. Pratt Institute - Main

New York City

For Creative Writing

#369 in the United States

#416 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $54,150

43. Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville

For Creative Writing

#378 in the United States

#425 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1335
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $43,629

44. SUNY Cortland

Cortland

For Creative Writing

#380 in the United States

#427 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $8,254
Enrollment: 6,938

45. Hobart William Smith Colleges

Geneva

For Creative Writing

#398 in the United States

#445 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1288
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $34,170

46. School of Visual Arts

New York City

For Creative Writing

#425 in the United States

#473 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1339
Net Price: $61,337
Receiving Aid: 67%

47. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego

For Creative Writing

#435 in the United States

#483 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1170
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 93%

48. SUNY College at Brockport

Brockport

For Creative Writing

#447 in the United States

#496 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 94%

49. Saint John Fisher College

Rochester

For Creative Writing

#466 in the United States

#516 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1210
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $30,540

50. SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase

For Creative Writing

#469 in the United States

#519 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1283
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 84%

Closest to New York states to learn Creative Writing

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Connecticut	10	4
Massachusetts	28	14
New Hampshire	4	111
Pennsylvania	26	8
Rhode Island	4	95
New Jersey	14	27
Maryland	12	23
District of Columbia	5	33
Maine	6	172
Ohio	18	7
Virginia	14	21
Michigan	12	5
North Carolina	16	22
Indiana	11	30
Kentucky	4	75
South Carolina	6	104
Wisconsin	9	15
Illinois	18	9
Tennessee	7	48
Georgia	11	20
Iowa	5	42
Alabama	4	70
Minnesota	10	36
Missouri	6	51
Mississippi	3	167
Arkansas	5	136
Florida	13	32
Kansas	3	53
South Dakota	2	387
Louisiana	5	99
North Dakota	2	262
Nebraska	3	73
Oklahoma	3	76
Texas	28	3
Colorado	9	54
Utah	3	45
Idaho	3	188
Arizona	3	18
Washington	10	19
Oregon	7	100
California	45	2

Closest to New York states to learn Creative Writing

Art & Design subfields in New York State