Best Fashion Schools Near Raleigh, NC (2026)

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

Raleigh, North Carolina has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs, with tuition ranging from $45,312 to $65,548 per year for indexed programs. Raleigh has a population of about 470,763. Median household income is $82,424 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $167,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Raleigh

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

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 3.4 miles from Raleigh
  • 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

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

Fashion Wages Near Raleigh

Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). 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 $76,365
Marketing Managers $167,640 Raleigh-Cary, NC $170,713
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $72,220 Raleigh-Cary, NC $73,544
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $37,150 Raleigh-Cary, NC $37,831
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $78,980 Raleigh-Cary, NC $80,428
Graphic Designers $61,700 Raleigh-Cary, NC $62,831
Commercial and Industrial Designers $87,620 Raleigh-Cary, NC $89,226

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.

Raleigh at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 470,763 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $82,424 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 52.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Raleigh-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Raleigh, NC?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Raleigh. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (3.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is High Point University (76.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Raleigh?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Raleigh are: Marketing Managers ($167,640), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($87,620), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($78,980). 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 Garner instead of Raleigh?

Garner, NC is 9.6 miles from Raleigh 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 Raleigh an affordable place to study fashion?

Raleigh’s median household income of $82,424 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Raleigh 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 Raleigh

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

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.

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