Apparel and Textiles: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 60 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$120,505 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
19.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−48%Modeled 10-year ROI
$58,046Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$58,046Median reported earnings · year 4
$54,485Average reported earnings · year 5
$24,750Median federal debt
42thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
60Reporting programs
58With year-4 earnings
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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,263
- Federal debt
- $19,133
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,046
- Federal debt
- $24,750
- Reporting programs
- 60
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,490
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$52,542National median$58,04675th percentile$62,807
58 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cornell University$94,9672Indiana University-Bloomington$77,5203University of Delaware$76,5954Utah State University$74,6865The University of Texas at Austin$71,9226Fashion Institute of Technology$71,1397Northern Illinois University$68,6368Ohio State University-Main Campus$66,2569University of Kentucky$66,25510Central Washington University$65,815Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
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 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $94,967 | Not available | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $77,520 | $20,500 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $76,595 | $23,250 | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | Utah State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Logan, UT | $74,686 | $16,125 | +24% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $71,922 | $24,812 | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Fashion Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $71,139 | $21,165 | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Northern Illinois UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dekalb, IL | $68,636 | Not available | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $66,256 | $22,313 | -15% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $66,255 | $23,000 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Central Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ellensburg, WA | $65,815 | $19,444 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Florida State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $64,807 | $20,100 | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $64,328 | $24,125 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $63,723 | $25,000 | -28% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Fayetteville, AR | $63,394 | $25,225 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | $62,807 | $23,976 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $62,339 | $22,500 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | SUNY OneontaBachelor's Degree | Oneonta, NY | $61,121 | $23,691 | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $60,349 | $23,204 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $59,879 | Not available | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Rhode Island School of DesignBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $59,372 | $27,000 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin-StoutBachelor's Degree | Menomonie, WI | $59,192 | $26,248 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Ohio University-Eastern CampusBachelor's Degree | Saint Clairsville, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusBachelor's Degree | Chillicothe, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Ohio University-Southern CampusBachelor's Degree | Ironton, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Ohio University-Lancaster CampusBachelor's Degree | Lancaster, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Ohio University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Athens, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Ohio University-Zanesville CampusBachelor's Degree | Zanesville, OH | $58,647 | $24,750 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Appalachian State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boone, NC | $58,516 | $26,000 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Kansas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manhattan, KS | $57,576 | $22,773 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsBachelor's Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $57,184 | $21,250 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Framingham State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Framingham, MA | $57,124 | $26,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Western Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kalamazoo, MI | $56,487 | Not available | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | North Dakota State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Fargo, ND | $56,197 | $23,250 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | East Carolina UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greenville, NC | $56,134 | $26,000 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Savannah College of Art and DesignBachelor's Degree | Savannah, GA | $55,925 | $26,916 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $55,367 | Not available | -60% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $55,367 | Not available | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $54,347 | $27,000 | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $54,254 | $25,000 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $53,575 | $20,000 | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaBachelor's Degree | Pomona, CA | $52,952 | $11,764 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $52,765 | $19,500 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $52,542 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | University of Nebraska-LincolnBachelor's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $51,654 | $27,000 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $51,510 | $26,000 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,603 | $23,307 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | University of Akron Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Akron, OH | $48,441 | $29,250 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | Wayne State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | $46,737 | $27,000 | -92% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | Mississippi State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mississippi State, MS | $46,129 | $24,625 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Western Kentucky UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, KY | $45,420 | $27,000 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $45,225 | $25,000 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 52 | Georgia Southern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Statesboro, GA | $45,043 | $29,250 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | Indiana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | $45,035 | $26,000 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 54 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $43,823 | $31,000 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 55 | University of Hawaii at ManoaBachelor's Degree | Honolulu, HI | $41,672 | $22,845 | -114% | Negative payoff |
| 56 | Academy of Art UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $41,565 | $31,000 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 57 | Liberty UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $38,226 | $22,500 | -123% | Negative payoff |
| 58 | University of Northern IowaBachelor's Degree | Cedar Falls, IA | Not available | $21,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,901 |
| 59 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,354 |
| 60 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingBachelor's Degree | , | $67,118 | Not available | 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.