Best Fashion Schools Near Waterloo, IA (2026)

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

Waterloo, Iowa is home to about 66,947 residents. Median household income is $56,344 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $114,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Waterloo

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

No school data available.

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

Fashion Wages Near Waterloo

Waterloo is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area (BLS area code 47940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers N/A IA statewide –
Marketing Managers $114,940 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $131,963
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $67,040 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $76,969
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $38,930 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $44,696
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,000 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $73,479
Graphic Designers $51,060 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $58,622
Commercial and Industrial Designers $70,420 IA statewide $80,850

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.

Waterloo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 66,947 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,344 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waterloo-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Waterloo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Waterloo are: Marketing Managers ($114,940), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($70,420), Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products ($67,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cedar Falls instead of Waterloo?

Cedar Falls, IA is 5.5 miles from Waterloo 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 Waterloo an affordable place to study fashion?

Waterloo’s median household income of $56,344 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waterloo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Waterloo

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)