50 Best colleges for Creative Writing in New York State

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 208K citations received by 13.7K 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: 1530
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $20,869

2. New York University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#13 in the United States

#16 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $30,730

3. Cornell University

Ithaca

For Creative Writing

#17 in the United States

#20 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,455

4. University at Buffalo

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#67 in the United States

#79 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
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: 39%
Enrollment: 9,116
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1961

6. Syracuse University

Syracuse

For Creative Writing

#79 in the United States

#95 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $51,520

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany

For Creative Writing

#84 in the United States

#100 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $9,747
Enrollment: 16,880

8. Stony Brook University

Stony Brook

For Creative Writing

#92 in the United States

#108 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Average SAT: 1405
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 89%

9. University of Rochester

Rochester

For Creative Writing

#95 in the United States

#111 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $40,900

10. Barnard College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#124 in the United States

#146 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1502
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $27,738

11. Fordham University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#125 in the United States

#148 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $45,368

12. Binghamton University

Vestal

For Creative Writing

#132 in the United States

#155 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1405
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 78%

13. CUNY Hunter College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#147 in the United States

#174 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1340
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,624

14. New School

New York City

For Creative Writing

#154 in the United States

#182 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $62,226
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $20,504

15. Hofstra University

Hempstead

For Creative Writing

#176 in the United States

#205 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $35,687

16. King's College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#186 in the United States

#215 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

#215 in the United States

#248 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1370
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $39,753

18. Canisius College

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#219 in the United States

#253 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Net Price: $19,321
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,779

19. CUNY Brooklyn College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#220 in the United States

#254 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1280
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,290

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: 1125
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $9,284

21. CUNY City College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#251 in the United States

#287 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1340
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,236

22. Vassar College

Poughkeepsie

For Creative Writing

#254 in the United States

#290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Average SAT: 1493
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $29,733

23. CUNY Queens College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#255 in the United States

#291 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1210
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $8,904

24. Long Island University

Brookville

For Creative Writing

#261 in the United States

#298 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $22,620

25. Colgate University

Hamilton

For Creative Writing

#262 in the United States

#299 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1480
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,954

26. Adelphi University

Garden City

For Creative Writing

#266 in the United States

#304 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,671

27. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy

For Creative Writing

#267 in the United States

#305 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $35,940

28. Bard College

Annandale-On-Hudson

For Creative Writing

#289 in the United States

#327 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $25,218

29. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York City

For Creative Writing

#291 in the United States

#329 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,234
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1963

30. SUNY Buffalo State

Buffalo

For Creative Writing

#302 in the United States

#341 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1075
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $8,921

31. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York City

For Creative Writing

#305 in the United States

#344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1310
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $9,867

32. Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs

For Creative Writing

#308 in the United States

#347 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $32,368

33. St John's University - New York

New York City

For Creative Writing

#310 in the United States

#350 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,206

34. Ithaca College

Ithaca

For Creative Writing

#315 in the United States

#355 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1280
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $34,297

35. Lehman College, CUNY

New York City

For Creative Writing

#316 in the United States

#356 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1040
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $9,389

36. Pace University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#321 in the United States

#361 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1229
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $34,299

37. Yeshiva University

New York City

For Creative Writing

#327 in the United States

#368 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $38,118

38. College of Staten Island CUNY

New York City

For Creative Writing

#328 in the United States

#369 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $8,174
Enrollment: 10,736

39. Union College

Schenectady

For Creative Writing

#333 in the United States

#374 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $42,884

40. State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz

For Creative Writing

#338 in the United States

#381 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 84%

41. Hamilton College

Clinton

For Creative Writing

#347 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1480
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,021

42. Pratt Institute - Main

New York City

For Creative Writing

#370 in the United States

#416 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $51,702

43. Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville

For Creative Writing

#373 in the United States

#419 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1355
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $43,571

44. SUNY Cortland

Cortland

For Creative Writing

#378 in the United States

#424 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $8,034
Enrollment: 6,780

45. Hobart William Smith Colleges

Geneva

For Creative Writing

#392 in the United States

#438 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $33,172

46. School of Visual Arts

New York City

For Creative Writing

#415 in the United States

#461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1308
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $59,211

47. SUNY College at Brockport

Brockport

For Creative Writing

#434 in the United States

#482 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1155
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 94%

48. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego

For Creative Writing

#437 in the United States

#485 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 94%

49. Saint John Fisher College

Rochester

For Creative Writing

#458 in the United States

#507 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,969

50. SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase

For Creative Writing

#460 in the United States

#509 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1271
Average ACT: 30
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	27	14
New Hampshire	4	112
Pennsylvania	25	8
Rhode Island	4	97
New Jersey	14	26
Maryland	11	24
District of Columbia	5	33
Maine	6	172
Ohio	16	7
Virginia	12	21
Michigan	12	5
North Carolina	16	22
Indiana	11	30
Kentucky	4	75
South Carolina	6	108
Wisconsin	9	15
Illinois	18	9
Tennessee	7	47
Georgia	11	20
Iowa	5	42
Alabama	4	70
Minnesota	10	36
Missouri	6	52
Mississippi	3	166
Arkansas	4	134
Florida	13	32
Kansas	3	53
South Dakota	2	382
Louisiana	5	98
North Dakota	2	258
Nebraska	3	74
Oklahoma	3	76
Texas	28	3
Colorado	9	54
Utah	3	46
Idaho	3	192
Arizona	3	18
Washington	10	19
Oregon	7	100
California	44	2

Closest to New York states to learn Creative Writing

Art & Design subfields in New York State