Guides for Washington: Fashion design schools in Washington
Washington fashion schools at a glance (2026)
- 6 colleges report fashion design, apparel or merchandising programs: 3 universities and 3 community and technical colleges.
- Bachelor’s degrees: Washington State University (Pullman), Central Washington University (Ellensburg) and Seattle Pacific University (Seattle).
- Lowest yearly cost after grants: Olympic College, $10,370. Among the universities: Washington State, $13,462.
- Design pick: WSU’s Apparel Design major. Merchandising pick: Central Washington. In Seattle: Seattle Pacific or Seattle Central College.
Six Washington colleges report graduates in fashion design, apparel or fashion merchandising to the U.S. Department of Education. Two of the three universities are east of the Cascades, in Pullman and Ellensburg. Seattle has one four-year option, Seattle Pacific University, and a two-year design degree at Seattle Central College. The table compares all six on tuition, yearly cost after grants, admission, graduation and earnings.
Compare the 6 Fashion Schools in Washington
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Yearly cost after grants | Admit rate | Grad rate | Median earnings | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Collegefederal data | Bremerton | Public | $4,202 | $10,370 | - | 32% | $48,582 | MerchandisingCertificate |
| Seattle Central Collegefederal data | Seattle | Public | $4,935 | $21,132 | - | 32% | $48,906 | Design & TextilesAssociate |
| Central Washington UniversityThe ATM program in Ellensburg offers a B.S., a fashion marketing specialization, and a public spring fashion show.federal data | Ellensburg | Public | $9,655 | $21,201 | 91% | 52% | $65,578 | MerchandisingBachelor's |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technologyfederal data | Kirkland | Public | $10,701 | $25,594 | - | 38% | $56,471 | Design & TextilesCertificate |
| Washington State UniversityThe AMDT department in Pullman offers Apparel Design and Merchandising majors and an annual spring fashion show.federal data | Pullman | Public | $13,888 | $13,462 | 87% | 62% | $72,280 | Design + MerchBachelor's, master's |
| Seattle Pacific UniversitySeparate apparel design and merchandising B.A. degrees on a Seattle campus, housed in the business college.federal data | Seattle | Private | $44,367 | $25,419 | 83% | 59% | $71,277 | Design + MerchBachelor's |
Showing all 6 schools
Studying in Seattle? Our guide to fashion schools in Seattle compares Seattle Central, Seattle Pacific and LWTech with Nordstrom, REI, Brooks and other local employers, plus Seattle rent, ORCA fares and routes to a bachelor’s degree.
Washington’s Fashion Schools, One by One
Washington State University (Pullman)
WSU’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles offers a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Apparel Design or Merchandising. Students work in apparel design studios, a digital apparel lab, a textile lab, a visual merchandising studio and a photo studio. They show their work at the annual AMDT Fashion Show each spring. The department also offers a master’s degree.
2026-27 tuition is $12,699 a year for Washington residents and $30,370 for non-residents, including the student activities fee (WSU tuition rates). Other mandatory fees are extra. After grants, the average yearly cost is $13,462, the lowest of the three universities.
Central Washington University (Ellensburg)
CWU offers a B.S. in Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising, with a Fashion Marketing specialization that adds marketing, advertising and digital media courses. Minors in apparel design and merchandising are also offered. Students produce a public fashion show each spring, and the program includes internships and visits to fashion capitals.
2026-27 tuition at Ellensburg is $7,716 for Washington residents and $27,041 for non-residents, plus $2,396 in mandatory fees (CWU costs). That is the lowest published tuition of the three universities. After grants, the average yearly cost is $21,201.
Seattle Pacific University (Seattle)
SPU has two degrees, an Apparel Design B.A. and an Apparel Merchandising B.A., in its College of Business and Technology (SPU catalog). Apparel Design is an open major, so new students simply confirm it in their first quarter. Students in either major can spend a year at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and finish with an FIT associate degree as well as their SPU bachelor’s.
SPU is private. Its federal tuition figure is $44,367 a year, and the average yearly cost after grants is $25,419. Check the current tuition with SPU.
Seattle Central College (Seattle)
Seattle Central’s Apparel Design & Development AAS is 95 credits over six quarters. The program page lists no portfolio requirement, but students with little sewing experience first take short skills courses. Students do a work-experience course and end by designing a line of clothing for the college’s annual fashion portfolio show. Tuition from fall 2026 is $136.14 per credit for residents (Seattle Central tuition).
Olympic College and Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Olympic College in Bremerton reports a short fashion merchandising certificate in federal data. It has the lowest published tuition and the lowest yearly cost after grants on this list. Confirm the current program details with the college.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland offers a Sewing certificate that teaches machine work, textiles and garment construction. It is a sewing and construction credential, not a design degree. The college points graduates who want a bachelor’s toward WSU’s apparel program.
Fashion Design vs. Merchandising in Washington
Design. WSU’s Apparel Design major and SPU’s Apparel Design B.A. are the bachelor’s options. Seattle Central’s AAS is the two-year route. Compare them on our page for fashion design schools in Washington.
Merchandising. Central Washington, WSU’s Merchandising major and SPU’s Apparel Merchandising B.A. cover the business side. Olympic College offers a short certificate. Our fashion merchandising guide explains the jobs these degrees lead to.
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in Washington?
The yearly cost after grants is the average a student on federal aid pays for a full year, including housing and food. At Seattle Central and Lake Washington Institute of Technology it is far above tuition, because it counts housing and food as well.
| Type of school | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|
| Community and technical colleges (3) | $10,370 to $25,594 |
| Public universities (2) | $13,462 (WSU) and $21,201 (Central Washington) |
| Private university (1) | $25,419 (Seattle Pacific) |
Paying for Fashion School in Washington
- Washington College Grant. For 2026-27, a student from a family of four with income of $83,500 or less gets a full award. Families of four earning up to $139,500 can get a partial award. A full award is up to $12,700 a year at WSU and $5,095 at a community or technical college. You must be a Washington resident without a bachelor’s degree. (Washington Student Achievement Council)
- How to apply. File the FAFSA, or the WASFA if you can’t file the FAFSA. The 2026-27 application uses 2024 household income.
- Private for-profit colleges get no Washington College Grant money.
Routes: Community College, Transfer and Online
One lower-cost route is to start with general courses at a community college, then transfer to WSU or Central Washington for the fashion major. Seattle Central’s AAS and LWTech’s certificate are career credentials, so ask the university which of your credits will count before you enroll. For students who can’t relocate, our online fashion degrees guide compares online merchandising bachelor’s programs.
Fashion Careers in Washington
BLS figures from May 2025:
| Job | Jobs in Washington | Median pay in Washington | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion designers | Not published | $82,030 | $80,960 |
| Buyers and purchasing agents (all industries) | 15,400 | $85,130 | $77,710 |
Both medians are above the national figures. BLS does not publish the number of fashion designers in Washington. (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) Nordstrom has its head office in Seattle, which makes the city a base for buying and merchandising jobs.
Fashion Schools Near Washington
Washington is part of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which can cut out-of-state tuition at schools in other western states:
- University of Idaho (Moscow) is about 8 miles from Pullman. It offers an Apparel, Textiles and Design B.S. For 2026-27, tuition and fees are $13,538 for WUE recipients, against $29,300 for other non-residents (University of Idaho costs).
- Oregon State University (Corvallis) offers an Apparel Design B.S. Students apply to the major with a portfolio at junior standing. Its WUE scholarship is competitive: about 30% of eligible students get it, and the deadline is February 3 (Oregon State WUE).
Closed Fashion Schools in Washington
- The Art Institute of Seattle closed suddenly on March 8, 2019, two weeks before the end of its winter quarter (Washington Student Achievement Council).
Fashion Schools in Washington: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in Washington?
Olympic College in Bremerton has the lowest average yearly cost after grants, about $10,370, and the lowest published tuition, $4,202 in-state, per U.S. Department of Education data. Among the universities, Washington State University has the lowest cost after grants, about $13,462 a year.
Which Washington school is best for fashion design?
For a bachelor's, Washington State University in Pullman has an Apparel Design major, and Seattle Pacific University in Seattle has an Apparel Design B.A. For a two-year route, Seattle Central College offers an Apparel Design & Development AAS.
Can you study fashion in Seattle?
Yes. Seattle Pacific University offers Apparel Design and Apparel Merchandising B.A. degrees, and Seattle Central College offers an Apparel Design & Development AAS. Lake Washington Institute of Technology in nearby Kirkland has a sewing certificate.
How much is the Washington College Grant for fashion students?
For 2026-27, students from a family of four earning $83,500 or less get a full award: up to $12,700 a year at WSU and $5,095 at a community or technical college. Families of four earning up to $139,500 can get a partial award. Apply with the FAFSA or WASFA.
Can Washington students get lower tuition at out-of-state fashion programs?
Yes, through the Western Undergraduate Exchange. The University of Idaho, about 8 miles from Pullman, lists 2026-27 tuition and fees of $13,538 for WUE recipients, against $29,300 for other non-residents. Oregon State's WUE scholarship for its Apparel Design B.S. is competitive.
How much do fashion designers earn in Washington?
The median wage for fashion designers in Washington was $82,030 in May 2025, slightly above the U.S. median of $80,960, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Buyers and purchasing agents in Washington held 15,400 jobs at a median of $85,130.
How we built this list: schools come from U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions for 2022-23 and 2023-24. We count a school if it reported graduates in fashion/apparel design (CIP 50.0407), apparel and textiles (19.09xx), or fashion merchandising (52.1902, 52.1904). Tuition, cost after grants, admit rate, graduation rate and earnings come from College Scorecard, retrieved November 1, 2026. Program details and 2026-27 tuition rates were checked on each school’s own site where it allowed access. See our methodology. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.