Best Fashion Schools Near Altoona, PA (2026)

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

Altoona, Pennsylvania has 1 accredited school offering fashion programs. Altoona has a population of about 43,508. Median household income is $50,171 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Altoona, PA metro area, the top-earning fashion-related role is Marketing Managers at a median $119,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Fashion Schools to Altoona

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

Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus

Indiana, PA 40.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,019
Avg net price $16,804/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Albright College

Reading, PA 131.4 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,700
Avg net price $20,024/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA 139.8 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,452
Avg net price $19,444/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 152.9 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,701
Avg net price $24,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Harcum College

Bryn Mawr, PA 166.1 miles from Altoona
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,827
Avg net price $24,776/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 173.6 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Moore College of Art and Design

Philadelphia, PA 174.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
31.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,839
Avg net price $43,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Community College of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA 174.8 miles from Altoona
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,852
Avg net price $11,911/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Fashion Wages Near Altoona

Altoona is part of the Altoona, PA metro area (BLS area code 11020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Fashion Designers $63,840 PA statewide $71,330
Marketing Managers $119,670 Altoona, PA $133,709
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $59,560 Altoona, PA $66,547
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $41,890 Altoona, PA $46,804
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $61,740 Altoona, PA $68,983
Graphic Designers $50,530 Altoona, PA $56,458
Commercial and Industrial Designers $82,610 PA statewide $92,302

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.

Altoona at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 43,508 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,171 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Altoona-Area Cities With Fashion Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fashion schools are near Altoona, PA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering fashion programs near Altoona. The closest is Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus in Indiana, PA (40.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus (40.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying fashion roles near Altoona?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fashion-related roles near Altoona are: Marketing Managers ($119,670), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($82,610), Fashion Designers ($63,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnstown instead of Altoona?

Johnstown, PA is 30.0 miles from Altoona 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 Altoona an affordable place to study fashion?

Altoona’s median household income of $50,171 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Altoona while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Altoona

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

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 Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)