Best Fashion Schools Near Novato, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Novato, California has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs. Novato has a population of about 52,689. Median household income is $112,193 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $220,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Novato

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fashion programs near Novato, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Novato city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Novato. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 22.7 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 24.0 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 356.8 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
48.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,668
Avg net price $33,692/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 362.4 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, CA 367.6 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
43.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,152
Avg net price $51,248/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Los Angeles, CA 368.5 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 397.2 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 474.7 miles from Novato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California fashion page.

Fashion Wages Near Novato

Novato is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers $102,370 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $88,555
Marketing Managers $220,480 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $190,727
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $93,100 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $80,536
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $55,960 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $48,408
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $123,250 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $106,618
Graphic Designers $92,050 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $79,628
Commercial and Industrial Designers $104,000 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $89,965

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Novato at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,689 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $112,193 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 47.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Novato-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Novato, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Novato. The closest is Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA (22.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Rosa Junior College (26.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Novato?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Novato are: Marketing Managers ($220,480), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($123,250), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($104,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Rafael instead of Novato?

San Rafael, CA is 7.3 miles from Novato and has its own set of local fashion programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Novato an affordable place to study fashion?

Novato’s median household income of $112,193 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Novato while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Fashion Programs

Other Programs Available in Novato

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Novato:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Fashion Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)