Guides for Wisconsin: Fashion marketing schools in Wisconsin
Wisconsin fashion schools at a glance (2026)
- 3 colleges offer fashion degrees: 2 public universities and 1 private university.
- All 3 teach fashion design, and Mount Mary also has a Fashion Business (merchandising) major.
- Yearly cost after grants: $16,600 to $17,607.
- Lowest published tuition: UW-Stout, $11,196 a year in federal data.
- New York option: UW-Madison students can spend their senior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Three Wisconsin colleges offer fashion degrees and report graduates to the U.S. Department of Education: two University of Wisconsin campuses and a private university in Milwaukee. After grants, all three cost between about $16,600 and $17,600 a year. The real choice is between programs: textiles and design at UW-Madison, design with a retail focus at UW-Stout, and a long-running design and fashion business program at Mount Mary.
Compare the 3 Fashion Schools in Wisconsin
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Yearly cost after grants | Admit rate | Grad rate | Median earnings | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Stoutfederal data | Menomonie | Public | $11,196 | $17,533 | 88% | 54% | $62,537 | Design & TextilesBachelor's |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonThe biggest school on this list, with 36,902 students in Madison.federal data | Madison | Public | $12,166 | $16,600 | 45% | 90% | $80,330 | Design & TextilesCertificate, bachelor's |
| Mount Mary Universityfederal data | Milwaukee | Private | $36,490 | $17,607 | 62% | 48% | $54,273 | Design + MerchBachelor's |
Showing all 3 schools
Wisconsin’s Fashion Programs, One by One
University of Wisconsin-Madison
UW-Madison offers a B.S. in Textiles & Fashion Design through the School of Human Ecology. Students choose a fashion sequence or a textiles sequence, and every student completes a required internship of at least 150 hours. Upper-level students show their work at an annual student showcase.
The program has an unusual option for students who want New York experience. Students with a 3.0 GPA can apply in their junior year to spend the senior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology. They graduate with the UW-Madison degree and an associate degree from FIT. Applicants who name the major on their UW-Madison application are admitted to it when they are admitted to the university.
For 2026-27, Wisconsin residents pay $12,416 a year in tuition and fees, and non-residents pay $45,932 (UW-Madison Bursar). It is the largest school on the list, with 36,902 students, and it has the highest graduation rate, 90% for the whole university.
University of Wisconsin-Stout (Menomonie)
UW-Stout’s B.S. in Fashion Design & Development was formerly called Apparel Design and Development. Federal data lists it as a design program, but the course mix leans toward the retail business. Students take professional courses in general retailing as well as their chosen concentration. The university names buyer, merchandiser and merchandise manager among graduates’ jobs.
Design students build a final collection, and the annual Stout Fashion Show is the runway for student work. The Stout Retail Association has more than 100 members, and paid and unpaid co-ops are available through the university’s co-op and internship program.
UW-Stout’s 2026-27 estimate for tuition and fees is $11,767 a year for Wisconsin residents and $13,773 for Minnesota residents. Students from ten Midwest states, including Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and the Dakotas, pay $15,898. Other non-residents pay $20,939 (UW-Stout tuition).
Mount Mary University (Milwaukee)
Mount Mary is the only private college on this list, and the only one that offers both design and merchandising degrees. The university describes its Fashion Design major as the oldest four-year fashion design program in the United States. It requires at least 75 credits in fashion and art. Students can use a Fashion Archive of more than 10,000 items, and study trips alternate between New York and Paris.
The Fashion Business major covers trend analysis, buying and assortment planning, inventory management and marketing. Its students plan and produce the annual May fashion show, which draws more than 1,000 guests. Mount Mary lists Harley-Davidson, Kohl’s, Jockey International, Lands’ End and Target among the companies its students have interned or worked with.
Published tuition for 2026-27 is $37,160 a year, plus a $400 general fee each semester. The university says every full-time undergraduate receives an academic scholarship or reduced tuition (Mount Mary costs). The federal average cost after grants is $17,607, about the same as the two public universities.
Fashion Design vs. Merchandising in Wisconsin
Design. UW-Madison, UW-Stout and Mount Mary all lead to a bachelor’s degree with design studio work. UW-Madison adds textiles and the FIT year. UW-Stout mixes design with retail courses, and Mount Mary’s design major requires at least 75 credits in fashion and art.
Merchandising and marketing. Mount Mary’s Fashion Business major is a dedicated merchandising degree. UW-Stout’s retail courses and buying-focused careers make it a second choice for students who want the business side. Compare costs on our page for fashion marketing schools in Wisconsin.
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in Wisconsin?
The yearly cost after grants is the average a student on federal aid pays for a full year, including housing and food.
| School | Published tuition | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | $12,166 | $16,600 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout | $11,196 | $17,533 |
| Mount Mary University | $36,490 | $17,607 |
The gap between the three is about $1,000 a year after grants. Mount Mary’s sticker price is three times the public rate, but its grants bring it close to the UW campuses for students who qualify for aid.
Paying for Fashion School in Wisconsin
- File the FAFSA. It is the application for federal Pell Grants, and every school on this list uses it to build your aid package.
- Private scholarships. Mount Mary says all full-time undergraduates receive an academic scholarship or reduced tuition, so do not rule it out on the sticker price.
- Out-of-state discounts for Wisconsinites. Wisconsin residents pay North Dakota State University’s lower “contiguous” rate, and new freshmen and transfers pay South Dakota State’s resident rate under the South Dakota Advantage.
Fashion Careers in Wisconsin
Figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025:
| Job | Jobs in Wisconsin | Median pay in Wisconsin | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion designers | 120 | $57,030 | $80,960 |
| Buyers and purchasing agents (all industries) | 9,240 | $70,880 | $77,710 |
Wisconsin has far more buying and purchasing jobs than design jobs. That favours the retail and merchandising side of a fashion degree. Design pay in Wisconsin is about 30% below the U.S. median, so design graduates may look beyond the state, and UW-Madison’s FIT year is one way to build contacts in New York.
Fashion Schools Near Wisconsin
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) offers Apparel, Retail Merchandising & Design. Wisconsin residents pay its contiguous rate of $6,276.50 a semester in 2026-27, against $7,845 for most non-residents (NDSU rates).
- South Dakota State University (Brookings) offers Fashion Studies and Retail Merchandising. New Wisconsin freshmen and transfers pay $273 a credit, the same as South Dakotans (SDSU tuition).
- Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa have their own programs. Compare them in the state guides below.
Closed and Ended Programs
- Madison College (Madison Area Technical College), Fashion Marketing: its current program list no longer includes a fashion marketing degree; its marketing programs are general Marketing, Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing. We no longer list it in the table, although it reported graduates in recent federal data.
Fashion Schools in Wisconsin: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in Wisconsin?
By yearly cost after grants, UW-Madison is lowest at $16,600, per U.S. Department of Education data, with UW-Stout at $17,533 and Mount Mary at $17,607. By published tuition, UW-Stout is lowest at $11,196 a year for residents.
Which Wisconsin colleges offer fashion design?
Three: the University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S. in Textiles & Fashion Design), the University of Wisconsin-Stout (B.S. in Fashion Design & Development) and Mount Mary University in Milwaukee (Fashion Design major).
Where can I study fashion merchandising in Wisconsin?
Mount Mary University's Fashion Business major covers buying and assortment planning, trend analysis, inventory management and marketing. UW-Stout's Fashion Design & Development degree also includes retailing courses, and it lists buyer and merchandiser among graduates' jobs.
Can UW-Madison fashion students study in New York?
Yes. Textiles & Fashion Design students with a 3.0 GPA can apply in their junior year to spend their senior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. They graduate with the UW-Madison B.S. and an associate degree from FIT.
How much does UW-Stout cost for students from other states?
UW-Stout's 2026-27 estimate for tuition and fees is $11,767 a year for Wisconsin residents, $13,773 for Minnesota residents and $15,898 for residents of ten Midwest states, including Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and the Dakotas. Other non-residents pay $20,939.
How much do fashion designers earn in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin had 120 fashion designers in May 2025, with a median wage of $57,030, against $80,960 nationally, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Buyers and purchasing agents are a much larger group: 9,240 jobs with a median of $70,880.
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 rates were checked on each school’s own site the same day. See our methodology. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.