Best Fashion Schools Near Melrose, MA (2026)

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

Melrose, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs. Melrose has a population of about 29,488. Median household income is $126,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $213,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Melrose

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

Fisher College

Boston, MA 7.0 miles from Melrose
  • 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

#2

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Boston, MA 8.5 miles from Melrose
  • 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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#3

Middlesex Community College

Bedford, MA 12.0 miles from Melrose
  • 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

#4

Lasell University

Newton, MA 12.2 miles from Melrose
  • 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

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#5

Framingham State University

Framingham, MA 22.2 miles from Melrose
  • 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

#6

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 57.2 miles from Melrose
  • 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 Melrose

Melrose is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). 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 $106,630 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $98,458
Marketing Managers $213,910 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $197,516
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $79,670 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $73,564
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $44,070 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $40,693
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $102,390 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $94,543
Graphic Designers $78,270 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $72,271
Commercial and Industrial Designers $102,530 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $94,672

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.

Melrose at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,488 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $126,854 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 62.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Melrose-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Melrose, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Melrose. The closest is Fisher College in Boston, MA (7.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Framingham State University (22.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Melrose?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Melrose are: Marketing Managers ($213,910), Fashion Designers ($106,630), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($102,530). 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 Malden instead of Melrose?

Malden, MA is 1.7 miles from Melrose 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 Melrose an affordable place to study fashion?

Melrose’s median household income of $126,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Melrose while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Melrose

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

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)