Also in North Carolina: All fashion schools in North Carolina · Fashion merchandising schools in North Carolina
Five North Carolina colleges report a fashion design program to the U.S. Department of Education. Four are public universities: NC State, UNC Greensboro, Appalachian State and North Carolina Central. The fifth is Meredith College, a private women’s college in Raleigh. This page compares their costs, explains how each design program admits students, and shows where North Carolina’s textile industry fits in.
North Carolina fashion design at a glance
- 5 colleges offer fashion design, all at the bachelor’s level.
- Portfolio at entry: only NC State asks for one when you apply. App State reviews portfolios in the sophomore year.
- Lowest yearly cost after grants: UNC Greensboro, $12,291.
- Jobs: 460 fashion designers work in North Carolina, with a median wage of $74,990 (BLS, May 2025).
Fashion Design programs in North Carolina
| School | City | Type | Tuition (in-state) | Average net price | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Greensborofederal data | Greensboro | Public | $7,731 | $12,291 | Design and merchandising |
| Appalachian State Universityfederal data | Boone | Public | $7,642 | $16,082 | Design and merchandising |
| North Carolina State Universityfederal data | Raleigh | Public | $8,815 | $16,486 | Design and merchandising |
| North Carolina Central Universityfederal data | Durham | Public | $6,733 | $16,708 | Design |
| Meredith Collegefederal data | Raleigh | Private | $47,448 | $22,801 | Design and merchandising |
Source: tuition and average net price (yearly cost after grants, for students receiving federal aid) from College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, retrieved October 31, 2026. Program lists: IPEDS completions, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Each “federal data” link opens that school’s record.
What it costs
5 colleges in North Carolina report a program covering fashion design. Net price, what students actually pay after grants, ranges from $12,291 at University of North Carolina at Greensboro to $22,801 at Meredith College, with a median of $16,486 a year. Net price includes living costs, so students who live at home usually pay less. Published tuition and the full list of North Carolina schools, including merchandising-only programs at East Carolina and High Point, are on our guide to fashion schools in North Carolina.
The five programs, school by school
NC State University, Wilson College of Textiles (Raleigh)
NC State offers a Fashion and Textile Design B.S. with a fashion design concentration or a textile design concentration (NC State catalog). The college calls itself the only college in North America devoted to textiles. It has more than 200,000 square feet of space, including 68 labs, and does research for more than 130 companies and nonprofits (Wilson College).
Portfolio: Required. Apply by November 1 and upload 10 recent images with notes, plus an essay, to SlideRoom. New design students start in the fall only (FTD application).
Cost: 2026-27 tuition and fees are $4,623.25 per semester for North Carolina residents and $17,480.25 for out-of-state students, not counting health insurance.
UNC Greensboro (Greensboro)
UNCG’s Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies B.S. has an Apparel Design concentration. The program is accredited by the Textile and Apparel Program Accreditation Commission. Design students can show their own line at THREADS, an event in downtown Greensboro, and complete a required 6-credit internship. UNCG says its design graduates have gone to Hanesbrands, Kohl’s, Kontoor Brands, Nordstrom and PVH (UNCG CARS).
Portfolio: Not required to enter. Students build one in a required portfolio course. Cost: $7,864 a year in tuition and fees for residents and $25,347 for out-of-state students in 2026-27.
Appalachian State University (Boone)
App State offers a B.S. in Apparel Design and Merchandising, with a required marketing minor and a for-credit internship. Internships have taken students to New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. (App State program). Students in the advanced design studio show their collections at the annual Apparel Design and Merchandising Showcase, a runway event held in April 2026 at the Holmes Convocation Center (App State showcase).
Portfolio: Not needed to apply, but students must pass a sophomore portfolio review, held each spring, to continue in the major. Cost: $4,199.50 per semester in tuition and fees for residents and $13,629.50 for out-of-state students in 2026-27.
North Carolina Central University (Durham)
NCCU offers a Fashion, Apparel and Textile Design Studies B.S. with an Apparel Design concentration, in its Department of Art and Design. The program has been offered for more than 30 years and includes courses in sustainable fashion, textile innovation and fashion marketing (NCCU program).
Cost: For 2026-27, in-state students pay $3,465 per semester in tuition and fees, and out-of-state students pay $10,179, before health insurance. Its federal tuition figure is the lowest on this list.
Meredith College (Raleigh)
Meredith’s fashion program has a design track and a merchandising track. Design students study clothing construction and aesthetics. Students can earn six credits in a summer program in Paris, and past interns have worked for Michael Kors in New York and for Vogue (Meredith fashion).
Cost: $49,170 a year in 2026-27 tuition, the same for all students. Aid brings the average cost after grants down to $22,801.
Public, private or community college?
The 4 public colleges on this list average $15,391 a year in net price, against $22,801 for the one private college. The lowest-priced private option, Meredith College, still averages $22,801, so private study in fashion design usually costs more even after aid. None of these programs is at a two-year college, so students who want to save money can take general education courses at a local community college first and transfer into one of the universities above.
Design or merchandising?
Every school on this list also teaches the business side, but the balance differs. NC State and NCCU are the most design-focused. UNCG, App State and Meredith combine design with retail and merchandising in one degree. If you want buying or brand management with no sewing, look at East Carolina’s fashion merchandising concentration or NC State’s Fashion and Textile Management B.S., both covered on the state guide.
Paying for it: North Carolina aid
The Next NC Scholarship gives eligible residents at least $5,000 a year at a UNC System university, and at least $3,000 at a community college. You qualify with family income of $80,000 or less and a Student Aid Index of 7,500 or less, and you apply by filing the FAFSA, ideally by June 1 (Next NC Scholarship). Residents at private colleges such as Meredith can get the NC Need-Based Scholarship, also through the FAFSA (CFNC).
North Carolina left the Academic Common Market in 2011, so its residents cannot use it to pay in-state tuition at design programs in other Southern states (SREB).
Fashion design jobs in North Carolina
| Job | Jobs in North Carolina | Median pay in North Carolina | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion designers | 460 | $74,990 | $80,960 |
| Buyers and purchasing agents | 14,290 | $75,880 | $77,710 |
North Carolina’s apparel employers include Kontoor Brands, the Wrangler and Helly Hansen company, in Greensboro. Hanes, long based in Winston-Salem, has been part of Canada’s Gildan since December 2025.
Nearby options
SCAD in Savannah and Atlanta charges $42,975 a year for 2026-27, the same for all students; see fashion design schools in Georgia. Virginia Tech’s Fashion Merchandising and Design major costs $40,180 a year for out-of-state students; see fashion schools in Virginia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest fashion design program in North Carolina?
University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro has the lowest net price on this list, $12,291 a year.
How many North Carolina colleges offer fashion design?
5 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 page
Schools come from U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions in fashion and apparel design. Costs, tuition and the table come from the College Scorecard, retrieved October 31, 2026. Net price is the average paid after grants by students who receive federal aid. Program details, portfolio rules and 2026-27 tuition were checked on each school’s own site, linked above. Job figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. See our methodology.