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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1909

Apparel and Textiles: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$107,078 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

35.1 yrsModeled economic break-even

−72%Modeled 10-year ROI

$49,263Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$49,263Median reported earnings · year 4

$48,336Average reported earnings · year 5

$19,133Median federal debt

54thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

3With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $22,805
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,263
Federal debt: $19,133
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $58,046
Federal debt: $24,750
Reporting programs: 60

58 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $72,490
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$29,584National median$49,26375th percentile$49,263

3 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Fashion Institute of Technology$58,876 2Academy of Art University$29,584

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1192 · 3 crosswalk linksFashion DesignersSOC 27-1022 · 3 crosswalk linksFabric and Apparel PatternmakersSOC 51-6092 · 1 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 1 crosswalk linksInterior DesignersSOC 27-1025 · 1 crosswalk linksMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsSOC 13-1161 · 1 crosswalk linksMarketing ManagersSOC 11-2021 · 1 crosswalk linksMaterials ScientistsSOC 19-2032 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksWholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm ProductsSOC 13-1022 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR APPAREL AND TEXTILES

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	Fashion Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree	New York, NY	$58,876	$12,000	+8%	Positive payoff
2	Academy of Art UniversityAssociate's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$29,584	$21,500	-190%	Negative payoff
3	FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingAssociate's Degree	,	$49,263	$19,133	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.