Sixteen Texas colleges currently offer degree programs in fashion design, apparel and textiles, or fashion merchandising, based on U.S. Department of Education program data. Published tuition at these fashion schools runs from about $2,000 a year at Houston City College to over $61,000 at TCU — but the price most students actually pay after grants is often less than half the sticker rate. The comparison below covers the best fashion schools in Texas on cost, size, and program focus. Data updated July 2026.
Compare All 16 Fashion Schools in Texas
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston City CollegeCheapest published tuition of the 16. Merchandising courses run through Houston's community college system. | Houston | Public | $2,040 | $5,737 | 40,503 | Merchandising |
| Dallas CollegeDesign and merchandising at the El Centro campus. A full associate degree costs about $5,940 in total tuition. | Dallas | Public | $2,730 | $3,214 | 43,869 | Design + Merch |
| El Paso Community CollegeLowest average net price in the state: about $3,206 a year after grants. | El Paso | Public | $4,080 | $3,206 | 24,214 | Merchandising |
| Tarleton State UniversityFashion studies with a design track, about 90 minutes southwest of Fort Worth. | Stephenville | Public | $8,302 | $20,783 | 12,673 | Design & Textiles |
| Texas Woman's UniversityDenton's other fashion school, next door to UNT, at a lower net price. | Denton | Public | $8,640 | $11,963 | 8,767 | Merchandising |
| Lamar UniversityOne of only two schools here with a design track and a net price under $10,000. | Beaumont | Public | $8,905 | $9,366 | 8,150 | Design & Textiles |
| Sam Houston State UniversityMerchandising degree in Huntsville, an hour north of Houston. | Huntsville | Public | $9,228 | $16,404 | 17,743 | Merchandising |
| Stephen F Austin State UniversityOne of the smaller public programs on this list, with 8,728 students in Nacogdoches. | Nacogdoches | Public | $11,128 | $14,260 | 8,728 | Merchandising |
| University of North TexasThe largest fashion merchandising program in the country, per the university, plus the only Digital Retailing B.S. | Denton | Public | $11,309 | $15,649 | 34,341 | Merchandising |
| Texas State UniversityA 36,000-student campus in San Marcos, between Austin and San Antonio. | San Marcos | Public | $11,450 | $16,805 | 36,177 | Merchandising |
| The University of Texas at AustinThe state's strongest design-and-textiles option. Out-of-state tuition is nearly four times the in-state rate. | Austin | Public | $11,688 | $19,857 | 42,855 | Design & Textiles |
| Texas Tech UniversityThe main option in West Texas. Retail and merchandising coursework in Lubbock. | Lubbock | Public | $11,852 | $19,070 | 32,394 | Merchandising |
| Wade CollegeA 250-student college inside the Dallas Market Center that teaches only design and merchandising. | Dallas | Private | $17,692 | $20,778 | 252 | Design + Merch |
| University of the Incarnate WordSan Antonio's design option. The $37,090 sticker drops to $22,775 average net. | San Antonio | Private | $37,090 | $22,775 | 4,440 | Design & Textiles |
| Baylor UniversityPrivate pricing, but aid cuts the average cost by about $17,000 a year. | Waco | Private | $58,100 | $41,104 | 14,785 | Merchandising |
| Texas Christian UniversityHighest sticker price on the list. Average net comes to $36,660 after aid. | Fort Worth | Private | $61,740 | $36,660 | 11,026 | Merchandising |
Showing 16 of 16 schools
Best Fashion Schools in Texas: Three Standouts
University of North Texas — Denton
UNT’s College of Merchandising, Hospitality & Tourism is home to the largest fashion merchandising program in the nation, plus the country’s only Digital Retailing B.S. In-state tuition is $11,309 with an average net price of $15,649, and at 34,000+ students it pairs big-university resources with the Dallas–Fort Worth retail job market 40 minutes south.
The University of Texas at Austin
UT Austin’s Division of Textiles and Apparel offers design, merchandising, and textile-science tracks — the strongest design-and-textiles option in the state. In-state tuition is $11,688, but out-of-state jumps to $44,908, so it’s primarily a Texas-resident play.
Dallas College
The cheapest full fashion pathway in Texas: the fashion associate degree costs about $5,940 in total tuition for the entire two years, and career certificates run $1,782–$3,267. The program runs at the El Centro campus, blocks from the Dallas Market Center, and a common route is two years here before transferring to UNT or TWU.
Fashion Design Schools vs. Fashion Merchandising Schools in Texas
Only six of the sixteen schools offer a fashion design or textiles track — UT Austin, University of the Incarnate Word, Tarleton State, Lamar University, Dallas College, and Wade College — so students set on design have fewer, mostly university-level options. Fashion merchandising is the opposite: it’s available at community-college prices in every major Texas metro, from El Paso ($3,206 net) to Houston ($5,737 net).
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in Texas?
Ignore sticker price until you’ve compared net price. Baylor publishes $58,100 tuition, but aid brings the average down to $41,104; TCU’s $61,740 falls to $36,660. Meanwhile every public option in the table has a net price under $21,000, and the community colleges sit below $6,000 a year. The gap between the two price columns is the single most useful thing on this page.
Fashion Schools in Texas: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in Texas?
By average net price after aid: El Paso Community College (about $3,206 per year) and Dallas College (about $3,214), per U.S. Department of Education data. Dallas College is the better pick if you want a design track — EPCC reports only merchandising.
Which Texas schools offer fashion design rather than merchandising?
Six report an apparel design or textiles track: UT Austin, University of the Incarnate Word, Tarleton State, Lamar University, Dallas College, and Wade College. The other ten are merchandising or retail-focused.
How much does fashion school cost per year in Texas?
Published tuition ranges from $2,040 (Houston City College, in-state) to $61,740 (TCU). Average net price after grants is usually far lower — most students at Texas public schools pay under $17,000 per year.
Does Texas have a dedicated fashion college?
Yes — Wade College, inside the Dallas Market Center, is a dedicated design and merchandising college with about 250 students, offering both fashion design and merchandising degrees.
Fashion Schools in Nearby States
How we built this list: schools identified via U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS program data (CIP 19.09 apparel & textiles, CIP 52.19 fashion merchandising), retrieved July 11, 2026. Tuition is the published annual rate; net price is the average paid after grants by federal aid recipients. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.