Home › Majors › Apparel and Textiles

Apparel and Textiles Degree

53 schools compared · Average earnings $35,961/yr

Students study fashion design, textile science, apparel production, merchandising, and the global supply chains behind the clothing and textile industries. Graduates typically pursue careers in fashion design, textile product development, apparel merchandising, quality assurance, and supply chain management for clothing brands. The fashion industry is a multi-trillion-dollar global market with diverse career paths from design to business.

What Apparel and Textiles Graduates Do

Your degree in Apparel and Textiles prepares you for the business and creative sides of the industry. Many graduates land in high-demand marketing roles, where a typical day involves analyzing consumer data to predict the next hit color palette for a global brand or managing social media campaigns for a direct-to-consumer clothing line. Others follow a design path, sketching new garment concepts, sourcing innovative and sustainable fabrics, or selecting textiles for commercial interior design projects.

Career progression often means moving from an entry-level specialist or assistant designer role to a marketing manager, leading brand strategy and teams, or a senior designer overseeing entire collections. While business-focused marketing paths are growing robustly, be aware that some traditional, hands-on roles like patternmaking are shrinking due to automation.

With moderate AI exposure in this field, your daily work is set to change. Expect AI to automate routine tasks like data analysis or generating initial design variations. Your value will shift to curating those outputs, making creative and strategic judgments, and managing client and supplier relationships. Adaptability is key.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$35,961/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

47/100

AI Automation Risk

High

52% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Apparel and Textiles graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 133,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Marketing managers	$161,030 $111K$211K	34,300	+6.6%	50%
Materials scientists	$104,160 $80K$134K	600	+4.9%	48%
Fashion designers	$80,690 $54K$108K	2,300	+2.0%	39%
Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary	$77,280 $57K$100K	200	+3.4%	54%
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	$76,950 $56K$105K	87,200	+6.7%	55%
Fabric and apparel patternmakers	$67,670 $44K$91K	300	-10.2%	47%
Interior designers	$63,490 $50K$81K	7,800	+3.2%	50%
Farm and home management educators	$58,120 $46K$69K	1,100	-2.5%	37%

Marketing managers

$161,030

$111K $211K

34,300 openings/yr +6.6% growth 50% AI risk

Materials scientists

$104,160

$80K $134K

600 openings/yr +4.9% growth 48% AI risk

Fashion designers

$80,690

$54K $108K

2,300 openings/yr +2.0% growth 39% AI risk

Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary

$77,280

$57K $100K

200 openings/yr +3.4% growth 54% AI risk

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

$76,950

$56K $105K

87,200 openings/yr +6.7% growth 55% AI risk

Fabric and apparel patternmakers

$67,670

$44K $91K

300 openings/yr -10.2% growth 47% AI risk

Interior designers

$63,490

$50K $81K

7,800 openings/yr +3.2% growth 50% AI risk

Farm and home management educators

$58,120

$46K $69K

1,100 openings/yr -2.5% growth 37% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Apparel and Textiles

Top 20 of 53 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	65 61–66	$50,264/yr	14.3x
2	University of Delaware Newark, DE	62 58–63	$47,760/yr	10.7x
3	Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY	62 60–62	$40,463/yr	24.2x
4	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	61 59–62	$41,130/yr	25.3x
5	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	60 58–61	$40,948/yr	15.8x
6	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	59 56–60	$44,647/yr	14.1x
7	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	58 56–59	$39,969/yr	21.2x
8	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	58 56–59	$39,969/yr	21.2x
9	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	58 56–59	$39,969/yr	21.2x
10	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	58 56–59	$39,969/yr	21.2x
11	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	58 56–59	$39,969/yr	21.2x
12	Utah State University Logan, UT	57 53–58	$51,221/yr	12.9x
13	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	57 55–58	$40,176/yr	11.5x
14	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	56 53–57	$51,494/yr	12.0x
15	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	56 54–57	$40,059/yr	16.6x
16	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	55 53–56	$41,827/yr	10.9x
17	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	55 54–55	$38,262/yr	17.1x
18	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND	52 50–53	$40,558/yr	11.5x
19	Auburn University Auburn, AL	52 52–53	$37,329/yr	11.5x
20	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	52 51–52	$37,245/yr	11.7x
21	Iowa State University Ames, IA	51 49–52	$40,849/yr	11.1x
22	Washington State University Pullman, WA	51 50–52	$40,081/yr	10.0x
23	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	51 51–51	$35,703/yr	14.3x
24	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	51 53–52	$30,082/yr	21.0x
25	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	49 48–50	$39,969/yr	9.0x
26	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	48 49–49	$32,418/yr	17.0x
27	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	47 46–47	$37,111/yr	9.9x
28	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	47 47–48	$36,945/yr	13.9x
29	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	45 46–46	$34,852/yr	9.7x
30	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	45 46–46	$34,244/yr	11.7x
31	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	44 45–44	$28,180/yr	14.5x
32	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	43 42–44	$37,529/yr	7.6x
33	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	43 44–44	$33,161/yr	8.0x
34	Framingham State University Framingham, MA	43 45–44	$31,574/yr	10.9x
35	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI	42 41–42	$35,768/yr	7.8x
36	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	42 42–43	$34,315/yr	8.7x
37	Illinois State University Normal, IL	41 40–42	$37,111/yr	4.8x
38	Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN	41 43–42	$29,578/yr	12.0x
39	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	40 42–41	$30,371/yr	11.8x
40	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	40 41–40	$28,911/yr	16.4x
41	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	39 39–40	$36,635/yr	7.7x
42	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	38 39–38	$33,016/yr	6.4x
43	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	37 37–37	$33,502/yr	4.1x
44	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	36 38–37	$31,352/yr	7.0x
45	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	33 35–34	$29,177/yr	4.7x
46	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	33 35–34	$26,968/yr	7.9x
47	Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA	32 33–32	$31,574/yr	2.5x
48	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	31 32–31	$31,796/yr	3.7x
49	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	31 32–31	$26,004/yr	4.4x
50	Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI	29 27–30	$14,537/yr	-0.4x
51	Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA	28 29–28	$27,630/yr	1.5x
52	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	28 30–29	$26,490/yr	5.9x
53	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	25 26–26	$25,247/yr	4.3x

Highest Earning Apparel and Textiles Programs

Schools where Apparel and Textiles graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Central Washington University	$51,494/yr	56
Utah State University	$51,221/yr	57
Indiana University-Bloomington	$50,264/yr	65
University of Delaware	$47,760/yr	62
University of Northern Iowa	$44,647/yr	59
Ohio State University-Main Campus	$41,827/yr	55
Florida State University	$41,130/yr	61
University of Arkansas	$40,948/yr	60
Iowa State University	$40,849/yr	51
North Dakota State University-Main Campus	$40,558/yr	52

Best ROI for Apparel and Textiles

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Apparel and Textiles.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Florida State University	25.3x	$41,130/yr	61
Fashion Institute of Technology	24.2x	$40,463/yr	62
Ohio University-Eastern Campus	21.2x	$39,969/yr	58
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	21.2x	$39,969/yr	58
Ohio University-Southern Campus	21.2x	$39,969/yr	58
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	21.2x	$39,969/yr	58
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	21.2x	$39,969/yr	58
San Francisco State University	21.0x	$30,082/yr	51
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	17.1x	$38,262/yr	55
East Carolina University	17.0x	$32,418/yr	48

Want to compare two Apparel and Textiles programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Apparel and Textiles offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Apparel and Textiles graduates earn?

Across 53 schools, Apparel and Textiles graduates earn an average of $35,961 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $14,537 to $51,494 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Apparel and Textiles?

Apparel and Textiles is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 52% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Apparel and Textiles program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Indiana University-Bloomington ranks #1 for Apparel and Textiles with a score of 65/100 and graduate earnings of $50,264/yr.

What's the outlook for a Apparel and Textiles degree?

On average, Apparel and Textiles graduates earn 11.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →