Wichita, KS (population: 374,803) has twenty-eight fashion merchandising schools within a 500-mile radius of its city center. Texas Christian University, the highest ranked school in this group with a fashion merchandising program, has a total student population of 8,853. It is the 142nd highest ranked school in the USA and the 2nd highest in the state of Texas (#1 is Rice University).
Fashion Merchandising students from Wichita schools who go on to become fashion merchandisers, fashion designers, fashion models, fashion marketers, etc. have a good chance at finding employment. For example, there are 61,280 people working as merchandise displayers and window trimmers alone in the US, and their average annual salary is $28,480. Also, Commercial and industrial designers make on average $61,400 per year and there are about 29,170 of them employed in the US today. In fact, in the Wichita area alone, there are 90 employed commercial and industrial designers earning an average salary of $54,990. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers in this area earn $31,080/yr and there are 110 employed.
Wichita lies in Sedgwick county, which is one of the 67 counties in Kansas. Overall, the Wichita area has 295,670 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 2.3% unemployment rate, $18.81/hr average worker wage, and a $39,110 average annual salary. Thus, about 0.386 out of every 1000 jobs in Wichita are held by merchandise displayers and window trimmers, and 0.292/1000 are held by commercial and industrial designers.
Of the 28 fashion merchandising schools with a 500-mile radius of Wichita, only 12 have a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, The Art Institute of Dallas comes out as the most expensive ($36,482/yr) for fashion merchandising students, with El Centro College as the lowest, reported at only $5,469/yr.
| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Wichita |
| North Newton | KS | - | 1 | 30.3056 | 44 | 26.4 miles |
| El Dorado | KS | - | 2 | 14.14 | 133 | 27.6 miles |
| Winfield | KS | - | 1 | 53.8865 | 62 | 36.4 miles |
| Arkansas City | KS | - | 1 | 16.4747 | 36 | 46.5 miles |
| Lindsborg | KS | - | 1 | 18.8974 | 70 | 63.8 miles |
| Ponca City | OK | - | 2 | 30.535 | 26 | 69.4 miles |
| Pratt | KS | - | 1 | 19.626 | 18 | 76.6 miles |
| Salina | KS | 46,677 | 4 | 21.0387 | 91 | 79.6 miles |
| Great Bend | KS | - | 1 | 20.0068 | 110 | 90.6 miles |
| Enid | OK | 48,152 | 2 | 30.1217 | 45 | 93.2 miles |