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2009-2010 Survey Results,
MFA in Creative Writing Programs
in the United States
The following data represent the results of All information is © 2011, AWP.
This report is also available in PDF:  (681KB)
This past year, AWP asked Program Directors dozens of questions pertaining to their creative writing programs. Thanks to the
Program Directors, AWP was able to assemble information on
issues ranging from financial aid to class size, tuition, and budget and
salary figures. With the downturn in the national economy, many programs
and departments are competing for resources likely to become
more constrained. Our hope is that the information gathered here will
help faculty, students, and administrators make the best possible case
for continued investment in their programs.
This information can help programs advocate for more administrative
support, course reductions, and additional teaching assistantships
or scholarships for students. In addition, the expenditure information
in our survey can help programs advocate for adjunct and faculty salary
adjustments as well as additional resources towards an affiliated reading
series or literary magazine.
For many students and faculty, it is helpful to know how their
school's size and acceptance rates compare to the average program.
Statistics on admission, class size, and program size will help you understand where your program stands among its peers.
AWP thanks all the schools that participated in our most recent
survey. Individual survey responses are confidential, but we hope that
the aggregate totals listed here are helpful to your program and your
creative writing community.
How to read these statistics
In 2009-2010, AWP surveyed 145 full-residency MFA programs. The
following is one such result from the survey:
| Financial Aid & Teaching Assistantship Information |
Average of Responses |
% of Eligible Pool Responding |
| Average Number of Teaching Assistantships Available |
10.3 |
70% |
The category is indicated, followed by the average of all responses and
the percentage of the eligible pool that responded to the question. In
this case, 70% of the eligible pool responded to the question, and 10.3
was the average number of available teaching assistantships.
| Complementary
Programs |
Average of
Responses |
% of Eligible Pool
Responding |
MFA Program has a
visiting Writer Series |
52% |
65% |
MFA Program DOES NOT
have a Visiting Writer Series | 48% | 65% |
Average budget,
Reading Series | $19,183 | 57% |
Number of Writers brought
to campus each year | 10.15 | 64% |
Estimated number of Writers
taking part in MFA Reading
Series nationwide | 974 | |
Estimated financial
payments to Visiting Writers
at all MFA
programs nationwide | $1,841,568 | |
Average budget for Literary
Magazine | $16,535 | 46% |
| Tuition Information |
Average of
Responses |
# Institutions
Responding |
Average Tuition
(Private) | $20,518 | 31 |
Average Tuition
(Public, In-State) | $5,993 | 48 |
Average Tuition
(Public, Out-of-State) | $13,033 | 45 |
| Enrollment Application & Acceptance Information
Programs |
Average of Responses |
% of Eligible Pool
Responding |
| Estimated total
number of Grad Students
currently enrolled in MFA
Programs | 8,372 | |
| Average number of Grad
Students per Program | 45.5 | 73% |
| Average number of applicants
per Program | 223.45 | 69% |
| Average number admitted
per Program | 18.92 | 71% |
| Average acceptance rate
nationwide | 9% | 71% |
| Average number of students
in a Graduated
Seminar or Workshop | 10.9 | 79% |
Financial Aid & Teaching
Assistantship Information |
Average of Responses |
% of Eligible Pool Responding |
| Average number of
Teaching Assistantships
available | 10.3 | 70% |
| Average Stipend for
Teaching Assistantship | $10,821 | 60% |
Teaching Assistants receive
a
Full Tuition waiver | 64.5% | 74% |
Teaching Assistants receive
a
Partial Tuition Waiver | 14.90% | 74% |
Teaching Assistants Receive
No Tuition Waiver | 20.6% | 74% |
| Average number of
scholarships available | 7.23 | 59% |
| Salary Information |
Average of Responses |
% of Eligible Pool
Responding |
| Highest Stipend, Adjunct | $6,072 | 28% |
| Lowest Stipend, Adjunct | $4,405 | 32% |
| Average Stipend, Adjunct | $5,239 | |
| Highest Salary, Assistant Professor | $58,441 | 44% |
| Lowest Salary, Assistant Professor | $50,387 | 48% |
| Average Salary, Assistant Professor | $54,414 | |
| Highest Salary, Associate Professor | $72,714 | 46% |
| Lowest Salary, Associate Professor | $61,245 | 47% |
| Average Salary, Associate Professor | $66,980 | |
| Highest Salary, Full Professor | $105,209 | 44% |
| Lowest Salary, Lowest Salary, | $76,665 | 43% |
| Average Salary, Full Professor | $90,937 | |
| Program Director
Support |
Average of Responses |
% of Eligible Pool Responding |
| Program Director receives
compensation for
Administrative Duties | 43% | 62% |
| Program Director DOES
NOT receive compensation
for Administrative Duties | 57% | 62% |
| If the Program Director
receives compensation for
Administrative Duties, how
much? | $11,595 | 35% |
| Course Load Reduction
Program Director receives
(per year) | 1.61 | 66% |
| Program Director receives
Part-Time Admin. Assistant | 48.7% | 54% |
| Program Director receives
Full-Time Admin. Assistant | 39.5% | 54% |
| Program Director receives
Full-Time & Part-Time
Admin. Assistant | 11.8% | 54% |
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