Best Fashion Schools Near Watertown, NY (2026)

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

Watertown, New York has 2 accredited schools offering fashion programs. Watertown has a population of about 24,574. Median household income is $49,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $181,200 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Watertown

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

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 65.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 109.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY 112.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,386
Avg net price $19,158/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,831
Out‑of‑state$19,781
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY 185.0 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,819
Avg net price $41,544/yr
Tuition
In‑state$47,750
Out‑of‑state$47,750
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Marymount Manhattan College

New York, NY 242.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
27.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,131
Avg net price $36,861/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,870
Out‑of‑state$41,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

LIM College

New York, NY 243.2 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
46.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,956
Avg net price $38,667/yr
Tuition
In‑state$33,504
Out‑of‑state$33,504
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Berkeley College-New York

New York, NY 243.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
23.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,884
Avg net price $34,124/yr
Tuition
In‑state$29,800
Out‑of‑state$29,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY 243.4 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,696
Avg net price $19,095/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fashion Wages Near Watertown

Watertown is part of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area (BLS area code 48060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers $98,640 NY statewide $112,474
Marketing Managers $181,200 NY statewide $206,613
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $63,740 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $72,680
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $39,520 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $45,063
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $59,700 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $68,073
Graphic Designers $77,340 NY statewide $88,187
Commercial and Industrial Designers $89,640 NY statewide $102,212

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.

Watertown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,574 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,692 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Watertown, NY?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Watertown. The closest is Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (65.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Herkimer County Community College (79.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Watertown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Watertown are: Marketing Managers ($181,200), Fashion Designers ($98,640), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($89,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oswego instead of Watertown?

Oswego, NY is 46.6 miles from Watertown 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 Watertown an affordable place to study fashion?

Watertown’s median household income of $49,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Watertown

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

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 New York: Online Programs (2026)