Best Fashion Schools Near Amherst, MA (2026)

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

Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs, with tuition ranging from $42,419 to $60,314 per year for indexed programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $161,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Amherst

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

Framingham State University

Framingham, MA 54.8 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,349
Avg net price $16,114/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Middlesex Community College

Bedford, MA 63.8 miles from Amherst
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,651
Avg net price $2,624/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lasell University

Newton, MA 64.5 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,705
Avg net price $27,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Boston, MA 71.9 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,582
Avg net price $24,100/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Fisher College

Boston, MA 73.2 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,669
Avg net price $26,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 92.4 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,804
Avg net price $20,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fashion Wages Near Amherst

Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers $103,520 MA statewide $103,313
Marketing Managers $161,020 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $160,699
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $80,110 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $79,950
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $42,290 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $42,206
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $72,550 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $72,405
Graphic Designers $65,510 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,379
Commercial and Industrial Designers $101,720 MA statewide $101,517

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.

Amherst at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Amherst-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Amherst, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Amherst. The closest is Connecticut State Community College in New Britain, CT (42.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnson & Wales University-Providence (67.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Amherst?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Amherst are: Marketing Managers ($161,020), Fashion Designers ($103,520), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($101,720). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?

Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.

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 Amherst

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

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 Massachusetts: Online Programs (2026)