2026 Best Value Fashion Design Schools in Virginia
[Fashion Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/fashion-design/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value fashion design schools.
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2026 Best Value Fashion Design Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fashion design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fashion Design Schools
Leading the list is Virginia Commonwealth University, our #1 best value for fashion design in Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,937 to complete the fashion design program here. Early-career fashion design graduates make about $36,156. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Marymount University earned it the #2 place for fashion design. Located in the city of Arlington, Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,120 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for fashion design graduates is $27,000. Fashion Design graduates of Marymount University earn a median of $44,175 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Marymount University admits about 93% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
