Creative writing graduate schools often are the next step for a student who pursued an English or writing degree as an undergraduate. It is a specialized field of study that goes beyond undergraduate learning.
According to Every Writer's Resource, a creative writing degree is good for students who want to be around other writers, professionals and students with constructive criticism. Students also have the chance to meet literary agents and literary journal editors. A MFA program also gives students time to write.
MFA programs are usually two years long and run during the usual academic schedule: fall and spring.
According to 2010 MFA rankings in "Poets & Writers Magazine," the top-10 best creative writing schools include the University of Iowa in Iowa City; the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; the University of Virginia, Charlottesville; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the University of Texas, Austin; the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Brown University in Providence, RI; New York University in New York City; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; and the University of Oregon, Eugene.
The other 40 schools can be seen in "Poets & Writers Magazine."
The best creative writing schools were chosen based on votes provided by professors and students. The votes were broken down by writing genres. The information includes details about size, cost, workload, genre bias of applicant pool, reputation and curriculum focus.
It's very important to recognize what your goals are before applying to a MFA program. You have to know what you are willing to spend on the program, and whether or not you want to dedicate the time to the study.
Financial aid is available from most MFA programs, as well as from FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fafsa.ed.gov)
If you are interested in attending a creative writing school outside of the United States, GradSchools.com offers a comprehensive search specifically designed for international creative writing study.