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2026 Best Value Fashion Merchandising Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Fashion Merchandising](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/specialized-sales-merchandising-marketing/fashion-merchandising/) 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.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for fashion merchandising students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Fashion Merchandising Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Fashion Merchandising Schools in the The Plains States Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fashion merchandising, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Fashion Merchandising Schools

1

Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO

$21,600 In-State Tuition & Fees

$28,663 Avg Student Debt

$53,278 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Lindenwood University, our #1 best value for fashion merchandising in the The Plains States Region. Lindenwood University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Charles. In-state tuition and fees average $21,600. Students borrow a median of $28,663 to complete the fashion merchandising program here. Soon after graduation, fashion merchandising degree recipients from Lindenwood University generally make around $48,197. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Missouri Columbia
Columbia, MO

$14,837 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,818 Avg Student Debt

$63,403 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in fashion merchandising will find it at University Of Missouri Columbia, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Students borrow a median of $21,818 to complete the fashion merchandising program here. Early-career fashion merchandising graduates make about $53,134. Set against $21,818 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.

View All Fashion Merchandising Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.