Best English & Creative Writing Programs in Ohio (2026)

Ohio has produced a remarkable share of America's literary talent, and that is no accident. The state is home to a constellation of colleges and universities with deep commitments to English study and the craft of writing -- from small liberal arts colleges where every student knows their professor by name, to large research universities with nationally ranked graduate programs. Whether you are an aspiring novelist, a future poet, a literary scholar, or simply someone who wants to develop powerful communication skills, Ohio has a program that fits.

This guide examines the strongest English and creative writing programs across Ohio's colleges and universities, evaluating them on curriculum depth, faculty quality, class size, undergraduate research and publication opportunities, and graduate program placement.

Kenyon College: The Literary Standard

Kenyon College, located in the village of Gambier, has the most storied English and creative writing tradition of any college in Ohio -- and arguably among the most distinguished of any small college in the country. The Kenyon Review, founded in 1939 by poet John Crowe Ransom, remains one of America's preeminent literary journals and has published work by Robert Penn Warren, Flannery O'Connor, and Sylvia Plath, among many others.

The English department at Kenyon is small, personal, and intensely literary. Courses routinely enroll fewer than fifteen students, and faculty are active writers and scholars who bring their own creative practice into the classroom. Kenyon's concentration in creative writing includes workshops in fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction, and students have the unique opportunity to engage directly with the Kenyon Review's editorial process. Graduates consistently go on to top MFA programs and careers in publishing, journalism, and academia.

Oberlin College: Progressive Literary Culture

Oberlin's Creative Writing program sits within a broader English department that combines rigorous literary study with active workshop culture. The college's progressive ethos shapes its literary curriculum, with strong emphases on contemporary voices, global literature, and the intersection of writing with social justice. With a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, Oberlin students have excellent access to faculty mentors who are themselves published poets, novelists, and critics.

Oberlin's creative writing workshops are competitive and demanding, and the college's location -- a short drive from Cleveland -- gives students access to a vibrant regional literary scene. The college's annual Creative Writing thesis readings are a community institution, and Oberlin graduates have placed well in graduate programs at Iowa, Michigan, and other top MFA programs.

Ohio State University: Research and the MFA

For students pursuing graduate-level creative writing education, Ohio State's MFA program in Creative Writing is one of the largest and best-funded in the country. The program offers concentrations in fiction and poetry, with full funding for most admitted students including teaching fellowships, stipends, and health insurance. The faculty roster includes nationally recognized novelists, poets, and critics, and the program's alumni have published widely and hold faculty positions at universities across the country.

At the undergraduate level, OSU's English department is expansive, with strengths in American literature, literary theory, and writing. The sheer scale of the university means that undergraduates who take initiative can access extraordinary resources -- journal publications, reading series, and visiting writer programs -- though class sizes in introductory courses are considerably larger than at Ohio's liberal arts colleges.

Denison University: Writing-Intensive Liberal Arts

Denison University has built a reputation as one of Ohio's most writing-intensive liberal arts universities. The English department requires majors to develop skills across literary periods, genres, and critical methodologies, and writing workshops are a core component of the major. Denison's proximity to Columbus enables connections to the city's literary community, and the university hosts regular visiting writers and public readings.

With a 9:1 student-faculty ratio and small class sizes throughout the department, Denison English majors work closely with faculty throughout their four years. The senior capstone requirement challenges students to produce substantial original work in either critical scholarship or creative writing, providing a meaningful conclusion to the undergraduate experience.

College of Wooster: The Independent Study Advantage

No Ohio college integrates student-driven scholarly and creative work into its curriculum as thoroughly as the College of Wooster. Every Wooster student, regardless of major, completes a year-long Independent Study project in their senior year, under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor. For English and creative writing students, this means producing a work of genuine literary substance -- a novel excerpt and critical introduction, a collection of poems, a rigorous literary thesis -- that demonstrates original thinking and craft.

The Wooster English department is known for its depth across literary periods, and its creative writing offerings provide strong workshop training. The IS requirement makes Wooster graduates unusually well-prepared for graduate programs in both literature and creative writing, because they have already completed a sustained, mentored independent project before they apply.

Wittenberg University: Mentorship and the Writing Life

Wittenberg University's English department exemplifies the strengths of a rigorous liberal arts education in writing and literature. With consistently small class sizes and a faculty of dedicated teacher-scholars who know their students individually, Wittenberg offers English and creative writing students the kind of close mentorship that is difficult to find at larger institutions.

The curriculum spans literature, creative writing, and professional writing, giving students flexibility to tailor their path. Faculty mentorship extends well beyond the classroom: Wittenberg professors work with students on independent research projects, assist with graduate school applications, and invest in the development of each student as a writer and thinker. The university's emphasis on the writing-intensive liberal arts means that English students graduate with genuine command of language -- a skill that opens doors in law, medicine, business, journalism, and virtually every other field.

Ohio University: Creative Writing MFA and the Scripps School

Ohio University in Athens offers a well-regarded MFA in Creative Writing, with particular strength in poetry and a long tradition of producing working writers. The English department is home to active faculty writers, and the university's location in the scenic Hocking Hills region has long attracted students seeking a contemplative creative environment.

Ohio University is also home to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, one of the top journalism programs in the country, which provides a natural pathway for students interested in long-form writing, narrative nonfiction, and the intersection of reporting and literary craft. Undergraduates interested in creative nonfiction or journalism-adjacent writing will find OU's combination of programs particularly well-suited to their goals.

Miami University: Reginald McKnight and Beyond

Miami University's English department has a distinguished creative writing faculty, including nationally recognized fiction writer Reginald McKnight, whose work has won the Drue Heinz Literature Prize and the O. Henry Award. The department offers both undergraduate creative writing courses and a graduate program, and its location in Oxford -- a classic college town -- creates a focused literary environment. Miami's "Public Ivy" academic culture means strong expectations and engaged students.

English & Writing Programs Compared

What to Look for in an English or Writing Program

Choosing the right English or creative writing program is as much about environment as curriculum. A few key factors to weigh:

• Class size and faculty access: Workshop learning requires real feedback from both professors and peers. Small class sizes are essential. Look for programs where even introductory courses enroll fewer than 20 students.
• Faculty who write: The strongest writing programs employ faculty who are themselves active writers with recent publications. Ask who is teaching the courses you want to take and read their work.
• Publication opportunities: Literary journals, student publications, and reading series give undergraduate writers genuine audiences and early publication credits. Kenyon's proximity to the Kenyon Review is a rare advantage; other schools have their own outlets.
• Graduate program placement: If you plan to pursue an MFA or PhD, look at where the program's graduates have enrolled. This is one of the clearest signals of a program's rigor and faculty connections.
• The senior project: Schools that require a substantial capstone in English -- like Wooster's IS or Denison's senior thesis -- produce graduates who have actually finished something substantial before they leave.

Frequently Asked Questions