Post job

Textile designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a textile designer. Textile designers usually study graphic design, apparel and textiles, or fine arts. 73% of textile designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 897 real textile designer resumes to see exactly what textile designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for textile designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online textile designer courses to help get the education required to be a textile designer.

What education do you need to become a textile designer?

What degree do you need to be a textile designer?

The most common degree for textile designers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of textile designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a textile designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a textile designer. 34% of textile designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a textile designer include apparel and textiles and fine arts.

Most common colleges for textile designers

Textile designers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Rhode Island School of Design. Here are the most common colleges for textile designers in the US based on their resumes.
Textile designer common collegePercentages
Fashion Institute of Technology33.33%
Savannah College of Art and Design7.02%
Rhode Island School of Design6.14%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco5.70%
Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University5.70%

Best majors for textile designers

Best colleges for textile designers

The best colleges for textile designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A textile designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for textile designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become textile designers.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Delaware

Newark, DE • Private

In-state tuition

$13,680

Enrollment

19,060

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

20 best online courses for textile designers

Advertising disclosure

1. Visual Design (Part Time)

general_assembly

Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

2. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

udemy
4.7
(55,714)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

3. Graphic Design Theory - Color & Contrast

udemy
4.7
(489)

Use Color And Contrast Masterfully In Your Design Projects...

4. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

udemy
4.4
(4,233)

Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process

udemy
4.7
(1,014)

Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...

6. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

udemy
4.5
(2,609)

Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

7. T-Shirt Design Workshop 02: Mixed Media Design

udemy
4.5
(946)

Create T-Shirt Designs using Photoshop, Illustrator, and hand-drawing techniques...

8. Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design

udemy
4.1
(385)

Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...

9. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects

udemy
4.5
(737)

Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...

10. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners

udemy
4.8
(324)

Photoshop graphic design for beginners!  Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...

11. Color Theory for Designers

udemy
4.5
(504)

Get Inspired by Color for Graphic Design...

12. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers

udemy
4.7
(1,245)

Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...

13. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

udemy
4.5
(16,167)

Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...

14. The Branding Masterclass The Entire Brand Design Process

udemy
4.7
(3,322)

Sketching, Graphic Design, Logo Design, Brand Voice, Color & Typographic Systems, Portfolio and Client Presentations...

15. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level

udemy
4.6
(4,276)

Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...

16. T-Shirt Design Workshop 01: Foundation

udemy
4
(1,226)

Design a t-shirt like a professional: specialty printing methods, fabrics, inks, dyes, and washes...

17. The Complete Graphic Design Theory for Beginners Course

udemy
4.6
(17,074)

Learn Graphic Design Theory and the Basic Principles of Color Theory, Typography, Branding, Logo Design, Layout & More!...

18. Learn Professional 2D Game Asset Graphic Design in Photoshop

udemy
4.8
(1,890)

Become an exquisite game designer and start creating game art today!...

19. Become a Professional Graphic Designer

udemy
4.5
(1,644)

Learn what you need to know to break into the world of graphic design...

20. Design stunning Social Media Marketing Images with Photoshop

udemy
4.9
(427)

Learn how to design + 17 stunning social media images with Photoshop CC for your Social Networks. For Beginners...

Top 10 most affordable universities for textile designers

The most affordable schools for textile designers are California State University - Long Beach, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.

If the best universities for textile designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for textile designers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for textile designers

The hardest universities for textile designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for textile designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for textile designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for textile designers

The easiest schools for textile designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a textile designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for textile designers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average textile designer salary by education level

Textile designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $66,251 annually. With a Master's degree, textile designers earn a median annual income of $61,022 compared to $56,665 for textile designers with an Bachelor's degree.
Textile designer education levelTextile designer salary
Master's Degree$61,022
Bachelor's Degree$56,665
Doctorate Degree$66,251
Some College/ Associate Degree$52,144

Textile designer education FAQs

Search for textile designer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs