To date, we’ve asked 40 current and past creative writing students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it above average.

You don’t have to choose a major right away, but at some point you will.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a creative writing degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a creative writing degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are creative writing students compared to other degrees?

Overall, creative writing students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.9 out of 5. This is high compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees. For context, creative writing students rate their happiness similarly to students in Visual and Performing Arts, Cognitive Science and Philosophy And Religious Studies.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to creative writing

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
Philosophy And Religious Studies$68,276
Visual and Performing Arts$45,285
Creative Writing$54,678
Cognitive Science$76,863
Classics And Classical Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics$55,059
Philosophy and Related Studies$61,670
Philosophy$60,528

Let's break that down further.

Are creative writing students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
4.4 out of 5 stars
48 ratings
5 stars
54%
4 stars
29%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
0%
1 stars
0%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
4.1 out of 5 stars
48 ratings
5 stars
40%
4 stars
40%
3 stars
17%
2 stars
0%
1 stars
2%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in creative writing experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did creative writing graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what creative writing grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
2.6 out of 5 stars
48 ratings
5 stars
2%
4 stars
15%
3 stars
29%
2 stars
40%
1 stars
10%

We can see there’s a cluster of negative responses, which might indicate a declining or competitive job market.

Were creative writing students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
3.9 out of 5 stars
40 ratings
5 stars
30%
4 stars
33%
3 stars
28%
2 stars
5%
1 stars
0%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Salary

Find out what graduates typically earn.

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