by our College Data Analytics TeamDo you love watching Project Runway? Do you clip pages out of fashion magazines, sew your own clothes and help your friends update their wardrobes? A major in Textile and Apparel Studies could provide the education you need to pursue a career in fashion, clothing manufacturing, sales and design.
Majoring in Textile & Apparel will allow you to use your creative juices to design a product that will be appealing to consumers. You will learn about design, product, development, marketing, sales, product quality, consulting, and business ownership. Upon graduation you will be prepared to create products that appeal to local and global markets.
Some classes that you may take could include: art, apparel design, clothing construction, computer design, economics of textile, foreign language studies, history of textiles, merchandise management, product development, promotion, marketing, and sociology of clothing.
Depending on your college, you may also have the choice of concentrating in a specific area. Examples include: Apparel and Textile Manufacturing, Textile Science, Apparel and Textile Marketing Management, and Fashion and Fabric Consultant.
A degree in Textile & Apparel Studies explores Apparel And Textiles. Read on to learn the important information every textile & apparel studies major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering textile & apparel studies programs.
Nationwide, textile & apparel studies is a popular field of study, with 2,711 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Textile & Apparel Studies Schools ranking analyzes these 111 schools to determine the best overall colleges for textile & apparel studies students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of textile & apparel studies programs later in this article.
Studies in Textile & Apparel Studies emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations textile & apparel studies graduates commonly enter.
This major is great for a person who is creative and likes to stay current in fashion. You will learn all about how to forecast the next season's trends and styles. If you are a person who loves to shop, you could get a degree in something that you love. However, there is more to this major than shopping. You will study both marketing and advertising so that you can market materials within the industry.
Creativity, innovation and boldness in pursuing your vision will serve you well in both college classes and your career. You will work with new materials as you sketch and sew your own designs. Combine colors, fabrics, and shapes in new and interesting ways while designing new creations. Students should be comfortable leading, pushing limits and communicating ideas to others.
This is a very hands-on major. You will be required to complete lab work where you will work with different fabrics and dye, wash, sew, and glue them as well other treatments. This is where you will learn about what fabrics work best for various designs.
The skill set built by a textile & apparel studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a textile & apparel studies major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several textile & apparel studies degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 140 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 270 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 2,052 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 234 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 15 |
People currently working in careers related to textile & apparel studies tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 32.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 23.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 21.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.8% |
| Some college courses | 2.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 1.5% |
| First professional degree | 0.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in textile & apparel studies careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Graduates with a degree in Textile and Apparel Studies have a variety of career options. This broad major gives you both practical and theoretical knowledge of business, marketing and human decision making. Jobs can range from becoming a merchandise buyer to running your own business.
Graduates are well qualified for positions in production and development, merchandising, technical design, fashion writing, museum collection management, fashion consulting and theatrical costuming. Depending on your area of interest, some jobs may be highly competitive. Internships, previous work experience and an impressive portfolio will help you stand out from the pack.
Studying textile & apparel studies can lead to numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to textile & apparel studies.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to textile & apparel studies.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 1,304,119 | 14.0% |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,267,153 | 0.4% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 671,367 | 10.3% |
| Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | 465,393 | 2.6% |
| Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | 354,760 | 3.9% |
| Fashion Designers | 259,478 | -2.9% |
| Marketing Managers | 259,371 | -4.4% |
| Search Marketing Strategists | 199,758 | 8.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of textile & apparel studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $36,627 |
| 4 years | $47,471 |
| 5 years | $55,819 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for textile & apparel studies graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers textile & apparel studies grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $124,518 |
| Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | $111,183 |
| Materials Scientists | $101,265 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $99,604 |
| Marketing Managers | $90,143 |
| Search Marketing Strategists | $85,177 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | $55,950 |
| Interior Designers | $55,861 |
With 111 different textile & apparel studies programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased textile & apparel studies school rankings to help you.
Students interested in textile & apparel studies, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Apparel and Textiles, General | 1,745 |
| Apparel and Textile Marketing Management | 595 |
| Apparel and Textile Manufacture | 313 |
| Fashion and Fabric Consultant | 41 |
| Apparel and Textiles, Other | 12 |
| Textile Science | 5 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
