2027 Best Value Textile & Apparel Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Textile & Apparel Studies](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/apparel-textile-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for textile & apparel studies students.
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2027 Best Value Textile & Apparel Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in textile & apparel studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Textile & Apparel Studies Schools
Leading the list is Harper College, our #1 best value for textile & apparel studies in the Great Lakes Region. Harper College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Palatine. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,894, while out-of-state students pay about $11,874. Typical student debt for textile & apparel studies graduates is $10,963. Early-career textile & apparel studies graduates make about $44,523. Set against $10,963 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wayne State University earned it the #2 place for textile & apparel studies. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,650. Typical student debt for textile & apparel studies graduates is $27,000. Early-career textile & apparel studies graduates make about $26,490. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Indiana University Bloomington came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value textile & apparel studies schools. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,144 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,891. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the textile & apparel studies program here. Textile & Apparel Studies graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $50,264 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Students looking for strong value in textile & apparel studies will find it at Ohio State University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus. Students from in state pay about $13,244 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,022 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,313 to complete the textile & apparel studies program here. Early-career textile & apparel studies graduates make about $41,827. That is a strong return on a $22,313 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Students looking for strong value in textile & apparel studies will find it at University Of Wisconsin Madison, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,603 in tuition and fees, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Textile & Apparel Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Textile & Apparel Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $33,016 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University earned the #6 position for value in textile & apparel studies this year. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,410, while out-of-state students pay about $26,058. Textile & Apparel Studies graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Textile & Apparel Studies graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $37,111 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,500 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio University Main Campus landed the #7 spot for textile & apparel studies value this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Students borrow a median of $24,750 to complete the textile & apparel studies program here. Soon after graduation, textile & apparel studies degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $39,969. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.