Best Fashion Schools Near Decatur, IL (2026)

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

Decatur, Illinois has 1 accredited school offering fashion programs. Decatur has a population of about 70,368. Median household income is $50,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Decatur, IL metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $129,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Decatur

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

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL 47.9 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,989
Avg net price $12,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 144.4 miles from Decatur
  • 2 year
47.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,909
Avg net price $7,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 152.9 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 155.3 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 155.7 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
36.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,151
Avg net price $49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 160.2 miles from Decatur
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,071
Avg net price $11,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fashion Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Decatur, IL metro area (BLS area code 19500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers N/A IL statewide –
Marketing Managers $129,310 Decatur, IL $146,278
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $65,900 Decatur, IL $74,548
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $37,890 Decatur, IL $42,862
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $68,080 Decatur, IL $77,014
Graphic Designers $48,100 Decatur, IL $54,412
Commercial and Industrial Designers N/A IL statewide –

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.

Decatur at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 70,368 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,809 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Decatur, IL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Decatur. The closest is Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL (47.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Eastern Illinois University (47.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Decatur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Decatur are: Marketing Managers ($129,310), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($68,080), Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products ($65,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Springfield instead of Decatur?

Springfield, IL is 38.7 miles from Decatur 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 Decatur an affordable place to study fashion?

Decatur’s median household income of $50,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Decatur while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Decatur

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)