Best Apparel and Textiles Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 19 Apparel and Textiles programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing, highest first. Indiana University-Bloomington leads the list at $77,520, followed by Northern Illinois University at $68,636 and Ohio State University-Main Campus at $66,256.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $56,197, with a spread of $47,835 from $77,520 to $29,685. For 3 of the 19 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Every program on the list belongs to a public institution. Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Indiana State University posts the lowest average net price at $10,873, while South Dakota State University reports the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $77,520 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington reports $77,520 in median earnings for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $68,636 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University admits 70% of applicants and its Apparel and Textiles graduates earn a median of $68,636 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $66,256 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| With a median federal debt of $20,500 among Apparel and Textiles completers who borrowed, Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 3rd on this list. | |||||
| 4 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $62,339 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University posts an average net price of $19,398 and its Apparel and Textiles graduates earn a median of $62,339 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $60,349 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University ranks 194th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $60,349 in median earnings for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $59,879 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, and its Apparel and Textiles graduates earn a median of $59,879 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $59,192 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout reports a median federal debt of $25,000 among Apparel and Textiles completers who borrowed and median earnings of $59,192 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $58,647 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus carries an average net price of $21,637, and its Apparel and Textiles graduates earn a median of $58,647 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $57,576 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| Kansas State University admits 82% of applicants and reports $57,576 in median earnings for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $56,197 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ranks 10th on this list, with median earnings of $56,197 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $54,347 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield reports a median federal debt of $25,510 among Apparel and Textiles completers who borrowed and median earnings of $54,347 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE | $51,654 | $17,747 | $12,751 | 87.5% |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln posts an average net price of $17,747 and its Apparel and Textiles graduates earn a median of $51,654 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $48,441 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| At University of Akron Main Campus, median earnings of $48,441 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $13,946. | |||||
| 14 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $46,737 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median federal debt of $22,441 among Apparel and Textiles completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | $45,035 | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
| With an admission rate of 81%, Indiana State University lists median earnings of $45,035 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $43,823 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale posts median federal debt of $30,916 among Apparel and Textiles completers who borrowed and an average net price of $13,297. | |||||
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $43,426 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison, which admits 45% of applicants, reports median earnings of $43,426 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Northern Iowa · Cedar Falls, IA | $41,565 | $15,901 | $10,863 | 92.7% |
| An average net price of $15,901 accompanies University of Northern Iowa's median earnings of $41,565 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD | $29,685 | $19,841 | $14,266 | 98.3% |
| South Dakota State University lists median earnings of $29,685 for its Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $19,841. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Apparel and Textiles graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 19 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Indiana University-Bloomington leads Northern Illinois University by $8,884, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $47,835.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Family & Consumer Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Family & Consumer Sciences Colleges in the Midwest