California Schools

[Clabbens]

Are there any funded MFA programs in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or other urbanish yet coastal parts of CA (San Diego, Santa Cruz, etc.)? I only found UCSD in my search, and the class size made me feel like getting in would be basically impossible. I want to have my MFA cake and eat my California cake too. Is it possible?

Another way of looking the question: what are the "best" MFA programs in CA?

[Adelaide]

UC Irvine is definitely coastal and urbanish in the Southern California sprawl sense! LOL. But they have a fiction and poetry MFA. Fully funded for three years (according to their website) but another very competitive one I believe. My only other SoCal one in mind isn't an MFA, so this may be useless info for you, but there's also USC's PhD in creative writing, which is usually about 5 years, I think, all funded.

I've done a lot of research and the Bay Area MFAs have pretty limited funding as far as I can tell. If they do award funding, I don't think it's like the guaranteed funding for the entire cohort like Irvine might, for instance. They might be a handful of fellowships available, for instance. Like based on what San Jose State's MFA page says, it seems like not everyone gets a fellowship. If anyone has fully-funded Bay Area MFAs they know of or can talk more of funding in Bay Area MFAs in general, please drop your knowledge, because I'm curious!

Edited March 16, 2021 by Adelaide
adding some more info

[earlycalifornia]

UC Davis is not on the coast, but it's not far from the Bay Area. All students are funded in their second year. Most are in their first year.