FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Los Angeles, CA 90015-1421
About FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private for-profit two-year college in Los Angeles, California, enrolling about 535 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $44,573 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $35,000. Student demographics in federal data include White (29.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (23.5%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising charges about 2.1× the national private for-profit median tuition ($35,000).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 4.3×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 65.27%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $49,840.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising | $35,000 | $44,573 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| California (state median) | $8,093 | $8,343 | 287 |
| Urban (City) (locale median) | $15,200 | $20,053 | 1,346 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising really?
Key findings
- FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising charges about 2.1× the national private for-profit median tuition ($35,000).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 4.3×.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $35,000
Finding FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising charges about 2.1× the national private for-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $35,000. That is about 2.1× the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 4.3×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 2.9×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is $44,573.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $44,573 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $36,230 above the California median net price. Versus urban (city) campuses, net price runs $24,520 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$35,000
Avg. net price
$44,573
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $40,428 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $32,640 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $49,183 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $50,653 |
| $110,001+ | $49,072 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $140,000. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is known for
Top program completions
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other223
- Fashion/Apparel Design171
- Fashion Merchandising161
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General50
- Design and Visual Communications, General47
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Selective — about half of applicants (or fewer) are admitted.
- Yield: 28% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Campus
Location
Los Angeles, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 90015-1421
- NCES locale
- City
Compared with Urban (City) campuses nationally, net price is about 2.2× the median for Urban (City) campuses ($20,053 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Medical Schools and Centers
Size
Enrollment
535
Total enrollment
- Full-time share
- 68%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$13,734
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 18.98%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising was not reported in the College Scorecard extract for this institution.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $28,920 | $28,920 | $38,960 |
| 2014 | $29,930 | $29,930 | $40,553 |
| 2015 | $29,930 | $29,930 | $41,964 |
| 2016 | $31,760 | $31,760 | $39,109 |
| 2017 | $32,293 | $32,293 | $41,800 |
| 2018 | $32,293 | $32,293 | $41,766 |
| 2019 | $32,732 | $32,732 | $41,505 |
| 2020 | $32,645 | $32,645 | $40,793 |
| 2021 | $32,645 | $32,645 | $41,595 |
| 2022 | $32,645 | $32,645 | $42,584 |
| 2023 | $34,325 | $34,325 | $41,493 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is selective, accepting about half of all applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising reported total enrollment of about 535 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 14% male and 86% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (29.9%), Hispanic or Latino (23.5%), and Non-Resident Alien (21.3%). About 18.98% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 30.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
68.4% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in 2024 is 535 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
65.27% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other: 13% male / 87% female
- Fashion/Apparel Design: 16% male / 84% female
- Fashion Merchandising: 15% male / 85% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising graduates earn a median of $49,840 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $49,840. Median federal loan debt: $13,734. Average net price used in cost models: $44,573.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising graduates report median earnings of $49,840 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (13 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 3.6%
- California median 35.8 pp below median (39.3%)
- Far West median 42.1 pp below median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 54.4 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $8,849
- California median 0.87× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 0.92× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 1.2× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $11,387
- California median 1.8× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 1.6× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising at a glance
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private for-profit institution in Los Angeles, CA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Medical Schools and Centers.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, OtherFashion/Apparel DesignFashion Merchandising
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian29.9%Hispanic or Latino23.5%Non-Resident Alien21.3%
Schools near FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Other campuses in Los Angeles, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising located?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is located in Los Angeles, CA.
What is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is 41.5% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 412 applicants and 171 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's tuition?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $35,000 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $44,573 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising cost?
Reported tuition is $35,000 and average net price is $44,573 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What explains FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($44,573), completion (65.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($49,840). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising reports total enrollment of about 535 students, White (29.9%), Hispanic or Latino (23.5%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising?
About 30.2% of students at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising earn?
Median earnings are $40,974 six years after entry and $49,840 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising?
The 150%-time completion rate is 65.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $13,734.
Is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising public or private?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, CA.
Is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising an HBCU?
No. FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.