ASU FIDM is Arizona State University’s fashion school, created when the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, a private college in downtown Los Angeles for more than five decades, became part of ASU. FIDM closed as an independent college at the end of March 2025, and its fashion education continues inside ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, with programs in the Phoenix area, in Los Angeles at the ASU California Center, and online. For students, that means FIDM’s industry name with the cost structure and scale of a large public university.
What happened to FIDM
FIDM was known for fashion design, merchandising and visual communications programs with close ties to Los Angeles’ apparel industry. In 2023 ASU announced that FIDM would join it, and the standalone college held its final graduation in March 2025. Students searching for FIDM today should look at ASU FIDM’s programs: the brand, part of the faculty and the Los Angeles presence continue, but admissions, tuition and degrees are now ASU’s. If you hold FIDM credit, ask ASU about transfer and teach-out options.
Fashion programs
ASU FIDM offers bachelor’s degrees in fashion with design and merchandising focuses, alongside minors and certificates open to other ASU students. The program most relevant to students who want flexibility is the online BA in Fashion, Merchandising: 120 credit hours taught as 40 classes of 7.5 weeks each, combining the creative and business sides of the industry. It covers strategic product planning, buying and fashion product sales, includes an internship, and ends with a capstone in which students write a business pitch and merchandising proposal for an existing brand. The degree is also offered in person. Check ASU’s current catalog for the full list of campus programs and where each is taught, since the offering has changed since the merger.
Cost
ASU’s campus programs are priced as a public university. Federal data for ASU’s main campus lists tuition of $12,975 a year for Arizona residents and $35,167 for out-of-state students, with an average net price after grants of $14,694. ASU reports its online students as a separate unit, with published tuition of $11,974 a year in-state and $14,072 out of state, and a net price of $11,594. For students outside Arizona, the online program is therefore far cheaper than moving to campus, and far cheaper than FIDM’s former private tuition.
Admissions
ASU’s main campus admitted 90% of applicants in the most recent federal data, and its online unit 67%. Admission to the university is based on academic record; design-focused programs may ask for additional material, so check the specific program page. For most merchandising applicants, admission is far less of a hurdle than at portfolio-based fashion schools.
Outcomes
Federal data shows a completion rate of 68% at ASU’s main campus and a median income of $69,111 ten years after starting, across all majors. Fashion-specific outcomes are not reported separately. ASU’s size works both ways: students get a large university’s career services, internship networks and alumni base, but fashion is a small part of a very large institution.
Studying with ASU FIDM
ASU FIDM students study within the Herberger Institute, which also runs ASU’s art, architecture, design, film and music programs, so fashion students can take courses across those fields. In Los Angeles, the ASU California Center downtown hosts classes, events and summer programs, putting students close to the city’s apparel manufacturing, contemporary brands and showrooms. In Arizona, students get the full campus experience of one of the country’s largest universities. Online students work in 7.5-week classes on ASU’s online platform, which is built for very large numbers of distance learners.
Because ASU FIDM is part of ASU, students apply through the university, use its financial aid office and graduate with an Arizona State University degree.
Questions to ask before applying
- Which ASU FIDM degree fits your goal, design or merchandising, and where is each taught?
- If you are not an Arizona resident, does the online program give you the same degree at a lower cost than moving?
- How does the internship requirement work for online students outside a fashion city?
- If you have FIDM credit, how much of it transfers?
Who ASU FIDM suits
- Students who want the FIDM name and Los Angeles connections at public-university prices.
- Merchandising students anywhere in the U.S. who want an online bachelor’s degree from a large, well-known public university with a built-in internship.
- Students who want fashion within a broad university, with the option to combine it with business or design minors.
Who should look elsewhere
- Students who want the small, all-fashion campus that FIDM used to be; schools like FIT or a specialised merchandising college are closer to that.
- Students who want the lowest possible total cost for an online merchandising degree; Arkansas State publishes a lower flat rate.
How it compares
ASU FIDM, Arkansas State and Academy of Art are compared side by side in the online fashion degrees guide. For campus study, see the Arizona and California fashion schools guides.
Frequently asked questions
Does FIDM still exist?
Not as an independent college. It closed in March 2025, and its programs continue as ASU FIDM at Arizona State University.
Can I study ASU FIDM fashion online?
Yes. The BA in Fashion with a merchandising focus is offered fully online.
Is ASU FIDM still in Los Angeles?
ASU runs fashion classes and events at the ASU California Center in downtown Los Angeles; check the current catalog for which programs are taught there.