Also in Illinois: All fashion schools in Illinois · Fashion design schools in Illinois
Illinois offers an unusual mix for fashion merchandising students: low-cost community college programs in the Chicago suburbs, a downstate public university with a merchandising degree, and a retail and consumer-brand economy centred on Chicago. This page compares every Illinois merchandising program on cost after grants and explains how to combine them into an affordable bachelor’s.
Fashion Merchandising programs in Illinois
| School | City | Type | Tuition (in-state) | Average net price | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | $4,680 | $5,165 | Design and merchandising |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Public | $4,038 | $10,058 | Design and merchandising |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | Public | $14,654 | $12,717 | Merchandising |
| Dominican University | River Forest | Private | $40,608 | $14,013 | Design and merchandising |
What it costs
4 colleges in Illinois report a program covering fashion merchandising. Net price, what students actually pay after grants, ranges from $5,165 at College of DuPage to $14,013 at Dominican University, with a median of $11,387 a year. Net price includes living costs, so students who live at home usually pay less. Published tuition and the full list of Illinois schools are on the Illinois fashion schools guide, and the national fashion merchandising directory lets you compare these programs with options in neighbouring states, which can be cheaper even at out-of-state rates.
Programs to look at first
For the lowest cost, College of DuPage has the lowest net price on the list at $5,165 a year, and Harper College has the lowest published tuition at $4,038; both teach design and merchandising. Dominican University shows how far aid can move a private price, from a $40,608 sticker to a $14,013 average net. Downstate, Eastern Illinois offers a merchandising bachelor’s degree at a public price, with a $12,717 average net.
Public, private or community college?
The 3 public colleges on this list average $9,313 a year in net price, against $14,013 for the one private college. The lowest-priced private option, Dominican University, still averages $14,013, so private study in fashion merchandising usually costs more even after aid. The cheapest route to a bachelor’s is usually to start at a two-year college such as College of DuPage ($5,165 average net) and transfer to a public university such as Eastern Illinois University ($12,717). Ask both schools in advance which fashion courses transfer.
Merchandising careers in Illinois
The Chicago area is the Midwest’s largest retail and consumer-brand market. Ulta Beauty is headquartered in Bolingbrook, and many national retailers and brands run buying, planning and e-commerce teams in the city and suburbs. The Merchandise Mart, the vast wholesale building on the Chicago River, hosts showrooms and trade events. The Chicago guide covers the city’s fashion economy, its art school programs and living costs in more detail.
Studying fashion merchandising online
Merchandising is the part of fashion that works best online, and several accredited public universities offer complete online merchandising bachelor’s degrees, with published prices that compare well with private tuition. They are compared in the online fashion degrees guide; the trade-off is that online students must arrange internships themselves.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest fashion merchandising program in Illinois?
College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn has the lowest net price on this list, $5,165 a year.
How many Illinois colleges offer fashion merchandising?
4 colleges on our list offer a program covering fashion merchandising, 3 of them public.
What jobs does a fashion merchandising degree lead to?
Assistant buyer, merchandise planner, allocation analyst, product developer and retail management roles. The fashion merchandising degree guide covers pay and prospects.