---

Textile & Apparel Studies

Types of Degrees Textile & Apparel Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Textile & Apparel Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	140
Associate’s Degree	270
Bachelor’s Degree	2,052
Master’s Degree	234
Doctor’s Degree	15

What Textile & Apparel Studies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Textile & Apparel Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Textile & Apparel Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Textile & Apparel Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Textile & Apparel Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Textile & Apparel Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Textile & Apparel Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Textile & Apparel Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Zoom	Video conferencing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Database management systems	Data base management system software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Textile & Apparel Studies graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Child Development Instructor
• Lecturer
• Nutrition Faculty Member
• Food and Nutrition Teacher
• Professor
• Weaving Professor
• Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Food and Nutrition Professor
• Chef Instructor
• Cooking Teacher
• Sewing Teacher
• Home Economics Professor
• Dietetics Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Textile & Apparel Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	32.1%
Doctoral degree	23.9%
Bachelor’s degree	21.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Some college courses	2.5%
Less than a high school diploma	1.5%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Textile & Apparel Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 84.9% of Textile & Apparel Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,301	84.9%
Men	410	15.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Textile & Apparel Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,412	52.1%
Asian	184	6.8%
Hispanic or Latino	563	20.8%
Black or African American	239	8.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	121	4.5%
Race Unknown	67	2.5%
International Students	113	4.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Textile & Apparel Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Textile & Apparel Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,627
4 years	$47,471
5 years	$55,819

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,819 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Textile & Apparel Studies Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Textile & Apparel Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	5
Bachelor’s	6	1
Master’s	4	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Textile & Apparel Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Textile & Apparel Studies graduates earn a median of $47,471 four years after completion — roughly 25% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Family Consumer Human Sciences	19
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies	19.04
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services	19.02
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General	19.01
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Other	19.99
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	19.05
Housing and Human Environments	19.06
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	19.07
Work and Family Studies	19.00
Work and Family Studies	19.10

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.