Which NYC MFA Program Is Right For You?
Columbia has long had one of the most vaunted MFA programs in the country, yet its stature has slipped in recent years. This might be due to its large class sizes and the combination of low funding and high cost of living, a double-whammy that makes the sketchiness of future employment prospects that much more difficult to swallow. That said, Columbia’s creative writing faculty is home to many well-respected authors like Sam Lipsyte, Gary Shteyngart, Orhan Pamuk, Philip Lopate, and Victor LaValle (Shteyngart has an MFA from Hunter, LaValle from Columbia.) In addition to the impressive faculty, Columbia boasts a very comprehensive program, where students become completely immersed in workshops and the like. While this could potentially limit free time for writing or working, it also helps foster a sense of belonging and of community.
Rank in 2012 Poets and Writers Magazine Survey: 47
Notable Columbia MFA graduates: Rivka Galchen, Karen Russell, Dinaw Mengestu, Wells Tower, Kiran Desai, Rick Moody, Jonathan Ames, Philip Gourevitch