With a carefree, open-minded populace, Colorado is a great place for aspiring fashion professionals. Depending on which degree you want to earn, there are five schools to consider. Most are clustered in or close to Denver, but there is one school in Fort Collins.
The average cost of tuition in Colorado is $16,722, but tuition costs are significantly lower at Colorado State University-Fort Collins and Emily Griffith Technical College.
There are a variety of fashion scholarships in Colorado. The FCCLA, a group for students in consumer sciences, awards the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Scholarship.
Starting a fashion career is the next step after earning a degree. You may work for retailers, fashion design companies, or marketing companies. Some of the largest employers in Colorado are Steve Madden, Winston Retail, Trumaker, and F+W Media. The unemployment rate in Colorado is currently 6.2%, and it has been decreasing since July 2013 (BLS, 2013).
Salaries for fashion careers vary widely between people. This field really values experience, so you can earn more money as you gain more experience. The average salary for a fashion designer is $55,620 per year (BLS, 2012). Merchandise displayers earn, on average, $27,650 per year (BLS, 2012). Marketing analysts earn an average salary of $67,910 per year (BLS, 2012).