Also in Illinois: All fashion schools in Illinois · Fashion merchandising schools in Illinois
Eight Illinois colleges report a fashion design or apparel program to the U.S. Department of Education. They range from two-year design degrees at suburban community colleges to studio BFAs in downtown Chicago. This page compares them on cost and explains what each design program involves, including portfolio rules and the route from community college to a bachelor’s degree.
Illinois fashion design at a glance (2026)
- 8 colleges report a fashion design or apparel program: 4 public, 4 private.
- Studio BFAs in Chicago: School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College Chicago.
- Lowest yearly cost after grants: College of DuPage, $5,165.
- Lowest published tuition: Harper College, $4,038 a year in-district.
Fashion Design programs in Illinois
| School | City | Type | Tuition (in-state) | Average net price | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of DuPagefederal data | Glen Ellyn | Public | $4,680 | $5,165 | Design and merchandising |
| William Rainey Harper Collegefederal data | Palatine | Public | $4,038 | $10,058 | Design and merchandising |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondalefederal data | Carbondale | Public | $13,544 | $12,554 | Design |
| Dominican Universityfederal data | River Forest | Private | $40,608 | $14,013 | Design and merchandising |
| Illinois State Universityfederal data | Normal | Public | $16,152 | $17,829 | Design |
| Bradley Universityfederal data | Peoria | Private | $43,850 | $22,469 | Design |
| Columbia College Chicagofederal data | Chicago | Private | $37,344 | $36,529 | Design |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicagofederal data | Chicago | Private | $58,220 | $53,331 | Design |
Source: tuition and average net price (yearly cost after grants, for students receiving federal aid) from College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, retrieved November 1, 2026. Program lists: IPEDS completions, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Each “federal data” link opens that school’s record.
What it costs
8 colleges in Illinois report a program covering fashion design. Net price, what students actually pay after grants, ranges from $5,165 at College of DuPage to $53,331 at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a median of $15,921 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 our guide to fashion schools in Illinois, and the national fashion design directory lets you compare these programs with options in other states.
Programs to look at first
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
SAIC offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design and a graduate MFA in Fashion, Body and Garment. Students use the school’s Fashion Resource Center, a hands-on collection of late 20th- and 21st-century designer garments. The Art Institute of Chicago museum is one block from campus.
Portfolio: Studio applicants send 10 to 15 of their best recent pieces, and fashion designs count (SAIC portfolio rules). Tuition for 2026-27 is $59,460 a year (SAIC tuition). It is the most expensive program on this list after grants, at $53,331 a year.
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia offers a Fashion Design BFA and a Fashion Studies BA with merchandising and product development concentrations. The BFA covers sustainability, body positivity, smart textiles and wearable technology, and it ends with a thesis collection. In the Concept to Consumer capstone, students design a product, work with local manufacturers and take it to market. Students can also spend a semester in Los Angeles.
2026-27 tuition is $17,749 per semester for full-time students, plus $793 in fees (Columbia tuition). Check the current BFA application and portfolio requirements with Columbia admissions.
Dominican University (River Forest)
Dominican’s fashion design major covers textile science, fashion illustration and trends. Seniors design a themed collection and produce the university’s Spring Fashion Show, and they build an online professional portfolio as a capstone. There is a mentorship program with industry professionals and a Paris course on French fashion.
Tuition for 2026-27 is $20,479 per semester (Dominican tuition). Aid is generous here: the average yearly cost after grants is $14,013, the lowest of the private colleges on this list.
Illinois State University (Normal)
Illinois State’s Fashion Design and Merchandising major has a Fashion Design and Product Development sequence, which adds draping and flat pattern making. Students run an annual fashion show. The program has a design studio, a textile lab and the Lois Jett Historic Costume Collection of about 2,000 pieces. No portfolio is listed for admission.
New students in 2026-27 pay $422.30 per credit hour in-state and $844.60 out of state, and that rate is fixed for four years (ISU tuition).
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
SIU’s B.S. in Fashion Studies has a 48-credit fashion design specialization. Students take illustration, garment construction, pattern making, draping and computer-aided design. Seniors complete a portfolio review and end the year with a live fashion show of their work. SIU says it is the only public university in Illinois with fashion design as a separate specialization.
SIU’s 2026-27 cost estimate lists tuition of $9,833 for a full year at 15 credits a semester (SIU budget).
Harper College and College of DuPage
Both suburban community colleges offer a two-year Fashion Design A.A.S., and neither lists a portfolio requirement.
- Harper College (Palatine): 61 credits, covering flat pattern design, draping and fashion illustration. Students show their work in an annual Student Fashion Show and a Jury Show reviewed by industry professionals. Harper also runs Studio V, a student-run boutique.
- College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn): at least 63 credits, with two levels each of clothing construction and flat pattern drafting, plus draping, illustration and digital design.
Bradley University (Peoria)
Bradley’s apparel program sits in its Family and Consumer Sciences department and focuses on apparel production and merchandising rather than studio design. Its average yearly cost after grants is $22,469.
Public, private or community college?
The 4 public colleges on this list average $11,401 a year in net price, against $31,585 for the 4 private ones. The lowest-priced private option, Dominican University, still averages $14,013, so private study in fashion design 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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale ($12,554). Ask both schools in advance which fashion courses transfer.
Do you need a portfolio?
It depends on the school.
- At admission: SAIC asks for 10 to 15 pieces. Ask Columbia about its current BFA requirements.
- Later in the degree: at SIU, seniors pass a portfolio review before their final show. Dominican students build a professional portfolio in their senior year.
- None listed: Illinois State, Harper and College of DuPage list no portfolio for admission.
Starting at a community college
Starting at Harper or College of DuPage and then transferring can cut the cost of a bachelor’s degree. Illinois State’s fashion program publishes course guides for Illinois community colleges. It recommends taking Apparel Product Development, Textiles and Psychology before transferring into its design sequence, and it asks for at least a 2.50 GPA (ISU transfer). Career A.A.S. courses do not always transfer, so check with the university before you enroll.
Pre-college programs
SAIC’s Early College Program runs in fall, spring and summer for students aged 14 to 18, and its courses include fashion. Students who have finished their sophomore year can earn college credit. A summer institute runs on campus and online.
Design jobs in Illinois
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish fashion designer employment or pay for Illinois. Nationally, fashion designers earned a median of $80,960 in May 2025. The business side of fashion is larger: Illinois had 19,660 buyers and purchasing agents across all industries, with a median wage of $78,470 (BLS). Most Illinois programs are in the Chicago area; see our guide to fashion schools in Chicago.
Closed and ended programs
- Northern Illinois University no longer enrolls new students in its B.S. in Fashion Merchandising (NIU), so we no longer include it in the table above.
- The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and Schaumburg, which offered fashion design, closed at the end of 2018.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest fashion design 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 design?
8 colleges on our list offer a program covering fashion design, 4 of them public.
Do I need a portfolio for a fashion design program?
Most bachelor’s design programs ask for a portfolio or review one during the first year, while community college programs usually admit without one. Check each school’s requirements.
How we built this list: schools come from U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions for 2022-23 and 2023-24 in fashion/apparel design (CIP 50.0407) and apparel and textiles (19.09xx). Net prices are from College Scorecard, the same figures as our Illinois guide. Program details and 2026-27 tuition were checked on each school’s own site on October 31, 2026. See our methodology. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.