Best Fashion Schools Near Palo Alto, CA (2026)

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

Palo Alto, California has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs. Palo Alto has a population of about 67,231. Median household income is $220,408 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 82.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $231,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Palo Alto

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fashion programs near Palo Alto, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto. 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

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 29.4 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

#2

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 30.7 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

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#3

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 306.3 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 311.3 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 316.4 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 317.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 346.7 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 423.7 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 Palo Alto

Palo Alto is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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 N/A CA statewide –
Marketing Managers $231,370 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $209,574
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $103,670 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $93,904
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $54,530 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $49,393
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $141,960 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $128,587
Graphic Designers $97,360 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $88,188
Commercial and Industrial Designers $141,310 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $127,998

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.

Palo Alto at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 67,231 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $220,408 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 82.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palo Alto-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Palo Alto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Palo Alto. The closest is Canada College in Redwood City, CA (7.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California College of the Arts (29.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Palo Alto?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Palo Alto are: Marketing Managers ($231,370), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($141,960), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($141,310). 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 Los Altos instead of Palo Alto?

Los Altos, CA is 3.2 miles from Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto an affordable place to study fashion?

Palo Alto’s median household income of $220,408 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto

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

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)