Best Fashion Schools Near Chapel Hill, NC (2026)

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

Chapel Hill, North Carolina has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs, with tuition ranging from $45,312 to $65,548 per year for indexed programs. Chapel Hill has a population of about 59,889. Median household income is $85,825 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $175,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Chapel Hill

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

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 8.5 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 21.4 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

High Point University

High Point, NC 53.6 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 112.6 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 4 year
52.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $27,426/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC 196.8 miles from Chapel Hill
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 68%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,781
Avg net price $19,910/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,736
Out‑of‑state$37,736
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fashion Wages Near Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers $74,990 NC statewide $76,834
Marketing Managers $175,160 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $179,467
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $70,870 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $72,613
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $39,080 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $40,041
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $93,110 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $95,400
Graphic Designers $63,580 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $65,143
Commercial and Industrial Designers $88,190 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $90,359

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.

Chapel Hill at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,889 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,825 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 77.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chapel Hill-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Chapel Hill, NC?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Chapel Hill. The closest is North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC (8.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is High Point University (53.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Chapel Hill?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Chapel Hill are: Marketing Managers ($175,160), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($93,110), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($88,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Carrboro instead of Chapel Hill?

Carrboro, NC is 2.7 miles from Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill an affordable place to study fashion?

Chapel Hill’s median household income of $85,825 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chapel Hill while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Chapel Hill

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

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 North Carolina: Online Programs (2026)