Fashion Merchandising at NIU
Bachelor of Science

Turn your eye for style into a bright career.

Fashion is more than functional. It allows us to express ourselves and reveals insights into society and culture. By studying this everyday art, you'll gain an understanding of the entire fashion merchandising journey, from fabric selection to retail placement. As you study the social and psychological forces that affect the industry, you'll gain the business skills needed to succeed in it.

The fashion merchandising program helped me to learn what I would need to work in merchandising in a variety of different roles, and it truly equipped me with knowledge that I still use almost seven years later.

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What Can I Do With a Fashion Merchandising Degree From NIU?

With your knowledge of the fashion industry and consumer behavior, you'll be prepared for a variety of exciting career opportunities. Your technical ability and knowledge of e-commerce will be in demand by employers.

Top skills reported by alumni:

  • Apparel merchandising
  • Inventory management
  • Leadership
  • Sales
  • Visual merchandising

Top fields alumni work in:

  • Consumer goods
  • Hospitality
  • Information technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail

Other Programs to Consider

Career Potential for NIU Fashion Merchandising Majors

Average mid-career salary:

$80,833

Top employers include:

  • Claire's
  • JCPenney
  • Kohl's
  • Macy's
  • Nordstrom
  • Target

Job titles include:

  • Account manager
  • Buyer
  • Human resources manager
  • Store manager
  • Operations manager
  • Owner

Source: Steppingblocks, 2023

What to Expect as a Fashion Merchandising Major at NIU

As you build your knowledge of the fashion industry, you’ll also build your technical ability. You'll use software such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign to create drawings, trend boards and much more. Plus, you can join our Fashion Industries Organization to get involved and expand your network.

Explore fashion merchandising courses.

How We’ll Help You Succeed

Apply for free and we’ll automatically consider you for a renewable merit scholarship.

Earn your bachelor’s degree fast with our affordable tuition and fees. Any credit hours you take over 12 are free (per semester).

Prepare to thrive after graduation with personalized support from Career Services.

With our truth-in-tuition policy, you’ll get the same fixed tuition rate for four continuous years, whether you live in Illinois or another state.

Apply to NIU

First-year Students
(Freshman)

High School GPA

3.0 or higher?

You're guaranteed general NIU admission.

ACT/SAT SCORES

Not considered.

We think your high school GPA is a better predictor of your success.

First-Year Application

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First-Year Application

Add us to your common app list

Transfer Students

ALL COLLEGES GPA

2.0 or higher?

You're guaranteed general NIU admission.

ALL COLLEGES GPA

3.0 or higher?

You're guaranteed a
renewable merit scholarship
.

See how your credits transfer

Apply to NIU as a Transfer Student

See how your credits transfer

Apply to NIU as a Transfer Student

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