Eight Indiana colleges offer fashion design or merchandising programs, based on U.S. Department of Education data. The Big Ten trio — IU Bloomington, Purdue, and Ball State — all charge under $12,200 in-state, which makes Indiana one of the cheaper states to get a university fashion degree. Published tuition runs from $7,126 at Vincennes to $31,361 at Indiana Tech. The comparison below covers the best fashion schools in Indiana on cost, size, and focus. Data updated July 2026.
Compare All 8 Fashion Schools in Indiana
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vincennes UniversityTwo-year university with the lowest sticker in the state: $7,126 in-state. | Vincennes | Public | $7,126 | $11,225 | 3,657 | Merchandising |
| Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional StudiesIndiana Tech's adult and continuing studies arm, also based in Fort Wayne. | Fort Wayne | Private | $9,896 | $20,473 | 2,686 | Design & Textiles |
| Purdue University-Main CampusBiggest campus on the list at 44,503 students, with in-state tuition under $10,000. | West Lafayette | Public | $9,992 | $14,600 | 44,503 | Design & Textiles |
| Indiana State UniversityLowest university net price in the state: $10,873 a year in Terre Haute. | Terre Haute | Public | $10,258 | $10,873 | 6,188 | Design & Textiles |
| Ball State UniversityFashion merchandising through the family and consumer sciences department, with CAD, buying, and construction coursework. | Muncie | Public | $11,082 | $14,940 | 13,988 | Design + Merch |
| Indiana University-BloomingtonThe Eskenazi School offers a fashion design B.A. with studio and studies tracks, plus a merchandising B.S. | Bloomington | Public | $12,144 | $16,264 | 37,806 | Design + Merch |
| Grace College and Theological SeminarySmall Christian college in Winona Lake. Aid cuts the sticker by more than a third. | Winona Lake | Private | $31,200 | $19,932 | 1,464 | Merchandising |
| Indiana Institute of TechnologyFort Wayne private. Aid brings the $31,361 sticker down to $23,206 average net. | Fort Wayne | Private | $31,361 | $23,206 | 1,441 | Design & Textiles |
Showing 8 of 8 schools
Best Fashion Schools in Indiana: Three Standouts
Indiana University Bloomington
The state’s main fashion design option. IU’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design runs a fashion design B.A. with two tracks — Fashion Studio, which requires a portfolio review and a two-year studio sequence, and Fashion Studies for careers like styling, curation, and fashion law — plus a separate merchandising B.S. In-state tuition is $12,144 with a $16,264 average net price.
Ball State University
Fashion merchandising through the family and consumer sciences department in Muncie, with coursework spanning textiles, clothing construction, CAD, buying, and promotion. In-state tuition is $11,082 with a $14,940 average net — cheaper than IU for students on the business side of fashion.
Vincennes University
The budget route: a two-year public university with $7,126 in-state tuition and an $11,225 average net price. A common path is two years at Vincennes followed by a transfer to IU or Ball State for the bachelor’s.
Fashion Design Schools vs. Fashion Merchandising Schools in Indiana
Six of the eight schools report an apparel or fashion design track, but the studio-based design education is concentrated at IU Bloomington’s art school. Ball State, Grace College, and Vincennes lean toward fashion merchandising and retail. Purdue, the biggest campus on the list at 44,503 students, keeps its apparel work closer to the retail and product side than to studio design.
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in Indiana?
Indiana’s publics are consistent: Indiana State nets out at $10,873, Vincennes at $11,225, Purdue at $14,600, Ball State at $14,940, and IU at $16,264. The privates spread wider — Grace College lands at $19,932 after aid cuts its sticker by more than a third, and Indiana Tech tops the list at $23,206 net.
Fashion Schools in Indiana: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in Indiana?
Indiana State University has the lowest average net price at $10,873 a year, and Vincennes University has the lowest published tuition at $7,126 in-state, per U.S. Department of Education data.
Does IU have a fashion design program?
Yes. IU Bloomington's Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design offers a fashion design B.A. with two tracks (Fashion Studio, with a portfolio review and a two-year studio sequence, and Fashion Studies) plus a separate merchandising B.S.
How much does fashion school cost per year in Indiana?
Published in-state tuition runs from $7,126 (Vincennes) to $31,361 (Indiana Tech). The public universities net out between about $10,900 and $16,300 after grants.
Should I pick IU or Ball State for fashion?
Depends on the track. IU Bloomington is the state's main fashion design option, with studio courses through the Eskenazi art school. Ball State's program runs through family and consumer sciences and leans toward merchandising, buying, and retail careers, at a lower net price ($14,940 vs. $16,264).
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. Program details verified against school websites. 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.