2026 Best Value Fashion Design Schools in Ohio
[Fashion Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/fashion-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for fashion design students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Fashion Design Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fashion design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fashion Design Schools
For return on investment in fashion design, no school beat Kent State University At Kent this year. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Fashion Design graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fashion design degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $36,351. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value fashion design schools. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. Typical student debt for fashion design graduates is $27,000. Fashion Design graduates of Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn a median of $35,645 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Cincinnati Main Campus one of the best values for fashion design. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Fashion Design graduates carry a median of $25,851 in student loans. Fashion Design graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $52,526 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,851 median debt. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Columbus College Of Art And Design came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value fashion design schools. Columbus College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,825. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the fashion design program here. Early-career fashion design graduates make about $27,970. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
More Fashion Design Rankings
View All Fashion Design Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
