Eight North Carolina colleges offer fashion design, textiles, or merchandising degrees, based on U.S. Department of Education data plus NC State’s textiles college, which reports under separate program codes. This is quietly one of the best states in the country to study fashion on a budget: four public universities charge $7,361–$8,799 in-state, and the state’s textile industry heritage shows up in the programs. The comparison below covers the best fashion schools in North Carolina on cost, size, and focus. Data updated July 2026.
Compare All 8 Fashion Schools in North Carolina
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina UniversityLowest in-state sticker on this list: $7,361 a year in Greenville. | Greenville | Public | $7,361 | $15,739 | 19,896 | Design & Textiles |
| Appalachian State UniversityApparel design and merchandising in Boone, up in the Blue Ridge mountains. | Boone | Public | $7,579 | $16,836 | 19,444 | Design & Textiles |
| University of North Carolina at GreensboroLowest net price in the state at $10,965. Apparel programs run through the Bryan business school. | Greensboro | Public | $7,661 | $10,965 | 14,062 | Design + Merch |
| North Carolina State UniversityHome of the Wilson College of Textiles, the only college in North America dedicated to textiles. | Raleigh | Public | $8,799 | $17,303 | 27,371 | Design + Merch |
| Mars Hill UniversityA 1,000-student private near Asheville. Aid cuts the sticker nearly in half. | Mars Hill | Private | $37,736 | $19,910 | 1,044 | Merchandising |
| Johnson & Wales University-CharlotteCharlotte branch of the Providence-based university, with about 1,200 students. | Charlotte | Private | $42,419 | $27,426 | 1,184 | Merchandising |
| High Point UniversityPrivate university in the city that hosts the country's biggest home furnishings market. | High Point | Private | $45,312 | $38,707 | 5,129 | Merchandising |
| Meredith CollegeRaleigh women's college with a fashion merchandising and design B.S. and a Paris summer program. | Raleigh | Private | $45,630 | $22,488 | 1,188 | Design + Merch |
Showing 8 of 8 schools
Best Fashion Schools in North Carolina: Three Standouts
NC State University — Wilson College of Textiles
The only college in North America dedicated entirely to textiles, running since 1899 on NC State’s Centennial Campus in Raleigh. Undergraduate tracks span fashion and textile design, brand management, engineering, and textile chemistry. In-state tuition is $8,799 with a $17,303 average net price — a fraction of what a dedicated design school costs anywhere else.
UNC Greensboro
UNCG’s Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies sits inside the Bryan School of Business, covering apparel product design through retail strategy. At $10,965 average net price, it’s the cheapest way to a four-year apparel degree in the state.
Meredith College
A Raleigh women’s college with a fashion merchandising and design B.S., two concentrations, and a Paris summer program. The $45,630 sticker drops to a $22,488 average net — aid cuts it by more than half — which puts it in reach of students who’d rule it out on the published price.
Fashion Design Schools vs. Fashion Merchandising Schools in North Carolina
North Carolina leans design-and-textiles harder than most states. NC State, UNC Greensboro, Appalachian State, East Carolina, and Meredith all report fashion design or apparel tracks, while High Point, Mars Hill, and Johnson & Wales Charlotte focus on fashion merchandising. The reason is history: the state was the center of the US textile industry for a century, and the university programs grew up around the mills.
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in North Carolina?
The public options are unusually cheap. East Carolina, Appalachian State, UNCG, and NC State all charge under $8,800 in-state, and net prices after grants run $11,000–$17,300. The privates spread wider: Mars Hill nets under $20,000 after steep aid, Meredith and Johnson & Wales land in the $22,000–$27,500 range, and High Point tops the list at $38,707 net.
Fashion Schools in North Carolina: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in North Carolina?
UNC Greensboro has the lowest average net price at $10,965 a year, per U.S. Department of Education data. The public options cluster tightly on sticker price too: East Carolina ($7,361), Appalachian State ($7,579), UNCG ($7,661), and NC State ($8,799) for in-state students.
Is NC State good for fashion?
NC State's Wilson College of Textiles is the only college in North America dedicated entirely to textiles, with undergraduate programs spanning design, engineering, chemistry, and brand management. In-state tuition is $8,799 with a $17,303 average net price.
How much does fashion school cost per year in North Carolina?
Published in-state tuition runs from $7,361 (East Carolina) to $45,630 (Meredith College). The four public universities net out between about $11,000 and $17,300 after grants; the privates run $19,900 to $38,700.
Which North Carolina schools offer fashion design?
NC State (fashion and textile design at the Wilson College), UNC Greensboro, Appalachian State, East Carolina, and Meredith College all report design or apparel-track programs. High Point, Mars Hill, and Johnson & Wales Charlotte focus on merchandising.
Fashion Schools in Nearby States
More North Carolina guides: Fashion Design Schools in North Carolina
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. NC State added by hand — its Wilson College of Textiles programs report under textiles-specific codes the standard query misses. 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.