Best Fashion Schools Near Springfield, IL (2026)

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

Springfield, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs. Springfield has a population of about 113,714. Median household income is $65,537 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Springfield, IL metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $141,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Springfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer fashion programs near Springfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Springfield 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 Springfield. 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 81.2 miles from Springfield
  • 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 165.2 miles from Springfield
  • 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 175.6 miles from Springfield
  • 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

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 179.7 miles from Springfield
  • 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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#5

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 179.9 miles from Springfield
  • 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

#6

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 180.2 miles from Springfield
  • 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

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

Fashion Wages Near Springfield

Springfield is part of the Springfield, IL metro area (BLS area code 44100). 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 $141,530 Springfield, IL $152,675
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $70,680 Springfield, IL $76,246
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $36,800 Springfield, IL $39,698
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $65,090 Springfield, IL $70,216
Graphic Designers $55,220 Springfield, IL $59,569
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.

Springfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 113,714 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,537 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Springfield-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Springfield, IL?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Springfield. The closest is Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL (81.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washington University in St Louis (85.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Springfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Springfield are: Marketing Managers ($141,530), Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products ($70,680), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($65,090). 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 Jacksonville instead of Springfield?

Jacksonville, IL is 30.9 miles from Springfield 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 Springfield an affordable place to study fashion?

Springfield’s median household income of $65,537 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Springfield 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 Springfield

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

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)