Top Ten Colleges for Fashion Design

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Thinking near entering the fashion industry? You're in for a fun, challenging career path. If you desire to be well-prepared to enter whatsoever area of fashion—either it's the pattern side or the business side—an educational activity at a well-reputed school volition definitely exist helpful.

Before getting into the list of best mode schools, I'll talk a bit near why you might want to attend a fashion school and how I compiled these rankings.

What Is a Fashion School?

A fashion schoolhouse offers degrees that are specialized for students who program on pursuing a career in the fashion industry. They often offering several different majors or specializations.

The most pop thing to do with a fashion degree is design, but there are many other careers yous tin can pursue with a degree in this field, including:

  • Fashion merchandising and fashion buying
  • Way marketing and PR
  • Manner product and management
  • Fashion journalism and publishing
  • Advert
  • Fashion technology

A not bad fashion program will provide hands-on feel in the classroom and the field, besides as plenty of opportunities for internships and jobs for both students and graduates.

The Ranking System

Ranking lists can be really not bad if you want to go a general idea of what schools are out there and whether they fit your interests and criteria. The problem with many lists is that in that location's no standardized ranking process or criteria, and they're not always transparent about the ranking procedure.

Although this particular ranking listing should besides just be used as a starting point for your own higher research, I want to exist much more clear nearly the process I used to make up one's mind the best fashion schools. Outset, I started by searching for colleges and universities that take a dedicated fashion major for undergraduates. After that, I took these major criteria into account:

  • General School Reputation: The fashion industry is incredibly competitive to break into (check out The Devil Wears Prada for a very tiny, very dramatized taste of what I mean). It's important that undergraduate students have access to the resources that come with a school that'due south well-regarded by the industry. As you'll run into when you become through the rankings list, many mode icons have visited or even lectured these schools for educational classes and seminars—this is a sign that these schools are taken seriously past those in manner.
  • Strength of Related Graduate Programs: Although I only listed schools here with dedicated undergraduate programs in fashion, schools got points if they have well-respected graduate programs in mode or other related design fields. Undergraduate students studying mode tend to benefit from faculty and resources in these graduate departments.
  • Alumni: When a schoolhouse boasts many notable alumni, this signals a couple of of import things: the programme itself produces stiff graduates, and the school'due south alumni network is stiff and well-continued. Successful alumni heave a school's reputation and make information technology easier for yous to find a job later on.
  • Location: The best internship and chore opportunities (as well as galleries and blueprint studios) are going to be in large fashion capitals: places like NYC, Paris, Milan, London, and Hong Kong. Many of the schools listed below are located in these cities or take satellite campuses or programs at that place. Schools got bonus points if they requite students options to study in a variety of locations.

The Best Fashion Schools, Ranked

Although I was clear nigh the criteria used to compile this list, you should use it primarily as a jumping-off point for your ain research—not an ultimate guide to the quality of a school'south program.

I encourage yous to focus less on the strict social club of rankings (which is pretty subjective to begin with) and more on the private characteristics of each school.

Let's get into the good stuff—the listing of best fashion schools.

#1 Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, NY

FIT is perhaps the nigh famous school for those aspiring to enter the world of fashion. Its programs focus on preparing students for professional excellence in pattern and business. FIT offers an incredibly broad range of undergraduate degree programs, including Accessories Blueprint, Material Styling, Fashion Business organisation Management, and Jewelry Blueprint. In total, the school offers 48 caste programs in fashion and other creative and business professions and is consistently ranked equally one of the all-time fashion schools.

The school plain takes full reward of its NYC location, taking students on frequent field trips to corporate headquarters, blueprint studios, galleries, and museums. Finally, many alumni are particularly successful in the business side of fashion and act as VPs, presidents, and CEOs.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA, BS

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Attention any fashion school in NY volition come with some important advantages, including ease of access to the fashion industry.

#2 Parsons The New School, New York, NY

The New School takes a more focused approach to manner, offering simply a BFA in fashion design for style-minded undergraduates. At that place are many other strong programs offered through the school, notwithstanding. The New Schoolhouse is a well-respected school in all sorts of design fields, including Fine Arts and Interior Blueprint, with Parsons ranked internationally as one of the best manner design schools.

The fashion design program is housed in Parson's School of Fashion, which has some stiff fashion Master'southward programs. Students complete a senior thesis every bit a capstone to their studies, which is great for developing a portfolio.

Students tin take reward of the many professional opportunities bachelor in NYC, especially with the school's list of notable alumni (including Isaac Mizrahi and Donna Karan).

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#iii Pratt Institute, New York, NY

It'southward no surprise that the top 3 schools on this list are located in NYC. Fashion blueprint students at the Pratt Establish have access to some keen resources, in part due to the school's location—for 1, guest lecturers from all areas of the industry often give talks and seminars. Students here also end upwards with some great internships (at companies like Rag & Bone, for example).

The school also has strong blueprint programs in other areas, including industrial and interior blueprint. All students seem to benefit from strong career support from Pratt's Middle for Career and Professional Development, which presented more than than 80 programs last year on topics such equally career prep and innovation.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#4 Savannah College of Art and Pattern (SCAD), Savannah, GA

SCAD, which offers a BFA in fashion design (in improver to an MA and MFA), is a very well-reputed, high-ranked design school with many other strong design programs.

The school prides itself in staying on top of the latest pattern technology, which may be why it's and then successful at attracting pinnacle names in fashion for guest lectures, panel discussions, and student critiques. Some of these past fashion experts include Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, and Vera Wang. It's no surprise that SCAD hosts one of the top student fashion shows in the country to showcase student piece of work.

Yous may non think of Savannah as a mode capital, merely you don't have to. Fashion pattern students have the opportunity to written report in Atlanta and Hong Kong.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#v Kent State University, Kent, OH

Kent State has a few more than options for students who are interested in the business side of the fashion industry—you tin choose from a BA or BFA in Fashion Pattern or a BS in Fashion Merchandising. Ane unique option is a combined BS/MBA programme in Style Merchandising.

The school has its own satellite campus in NYC, which is definitely important considering that Kent, OH isn't exactly a fashion majuscule. About 45 students a yr head off to Florence, Italy to study at the schoolhouse's Palazzo campus. Kent State also has a partnership with The Paris Academy in Paris, France—overall, students seem to take lots of options when it comes to off-campus experiences.

Finally, the schoolhouse claims that their placement rate in the style industry for graduates of the Style School is over xc%.

  • Manner degrees offered: BA, BFA, BS/MBA

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#half dozen Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Drexel, which offers a bachelor's in way design, prepares students for careers in pattern, styling, ad, and computer-aided and technical design. The school encourages hands-on experiences in the manufacture by requiring students to submit designs to national and international competitions.

Drexel has a couple of interesting programs for manner-minded students. First, there's a unique 6 month "co-op" program—an extended internship of sorts—where students piece of work at different companies around the land to develop their skills. Second, there's a study away program at the College of London.

In that location are many complementary undergraduate programs, including Design & Merchandising and Entertainment & Fine art.

  • Manner degrees offered: BFA

#vii Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

Thomas Jefferson Academy, which recently merged with Philadelphia Academy, offers BS degrees in Manner Design and Manner Merchandising & Management. The Design degree is in the Schoolhouse of Design and Technology, while the Merchandising & Management Degree is in the School of Business, so you'll get totally dissimilar experiences with the two different degrees. Both are comprehensive programs, and the blueprint degree is a rising star in rankings of all-time fashion design schools.

Both programs offer study abroad options in Rome, London, Paris, and more than. They provide easily-on grooming, and have connections to some of the biggest fashion companies in the earth including Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, and more. Jefferson besides hosts an annual mode show and produces a fashion mag, which are among that many extracurriculars that students can participate in.

Students are taught by industry professionals and graduates and the program prides itself on a team-oriented program.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BS

#eight Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY

The fashion programme at Marist offers 2 tracks, the BFA in Fashion Design or the BS in Fashion Merchandising. The way program is well-rounded and aims to prepare students for all aspects of the way industry. Every bit seniors, Fashion Blueprint majors design and execute an apparel drove for the schoolhouse's Silver Needle Fashion Show under the supervision of a professional person designer. Merchandising students complete a projection their senior year in collaboration with a way company. They tin too work with Mporium, an entrepreneurial boutique operated by Marist fashion students.

Marist is located in Poughkeepsie, most two hours north of New York City. The city is reachable by railroad train, which makes information technology a good choice for students who desire to intern in the metropolis and benefit from Marist'south competitive fashion programme. Students are encouraged to complete at least 2 internships.

Marist has additional requirements to exist accustomed to the mode program. They also offer a Pre-College summertime session, which can be taken for credit.

  • Fashion Degrees Offered: BFA, BS

#9 Otis Higher of Art and Blueprint, Los Angeles, CA

Otis is an interesting option for manner-minded students for a few reasons. Commencement, fashion blueprint students have the choice to choose a Costume Design emphasis track inside their major—a unique program of study that I haven't seen at whatsoever of these other schools.

Students have the opportunity to work in teams through inferior and senior twelvemonth to create unique designs, which is a great experience for when you transition to working in the bodily industry. The schoolhouse is also committed to sustainability in fashion—students tin can opt for a minor in sustainability if it's something they're particularly interested in.

Current designers serve as mentors for fashion students, and recent upperclassmen mentor companies include places similar Anthropologie, Nike, BCBG, Roxy, and more.

The schoolhouse has a lot of successful alumni living and working in NYC. Although LA isn't quite the fashion upper-case letter that NY is, there are all the same quite a few designers based in the city who are known for their trendy and unique work.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

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LA offers a great mix of "high style" and more casual, trendy design.

#10 Rhode Isle School of Blueprint (RISD), Providence, RI

RISD is a very well-known and well-respected art and design institution for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergrads here have the option to get a BFA in "Apparel Pattern."

The apparel design programme emphasizes (perhaps a flake more than other elevation programs) the evolution of avant-garde technical skills similar superior design sketching, blueprint cutting, and 3D draping. The school requires students to participate in internships and competitive opportunities, which thrusts you into the fashion manufacture fairly early on. The program's senior thesis project is described as a "unified body of work that expresses personal blueprint sensibility and showcases professional-form conceptual and technical skills."

Students regularly visit NYC's fashion district, which is fairly close. Providence itself may non seem similar a fashion capital, but it has a very loftier number of artists per capita. It'due south pocket-size simply concentrated!

  • Mode degrees offered: BFA

#11 Columbus College of Fine art and Design, Columbus, OH

Students here who cull to pursue a BFA in Fashion Design go on to practise whatever number of things in the style industry, including working equally way forecasters and costume designers. The school too offers an MFA in fashion design.

Columbus has six large studios open to student access in addition to other labs (for case, a dye lab and pattern/draping lab). Notable alumni include people like Bruno Grizzo (who worked for Calvin Klein and Lanvin) and Genoveva Christoff (who has her ain successful company).

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#12 Iowa Country University, Ames, IA

Manner students here become a degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design, which is a flake broader than some of the options at other top fashion schools. A wide degree means broad career opportunities, including things like public relations director or fashion journalism.

The school offers some impressive high-tech equipment, similar a 3-D torso scanner and industrial digital printer. Special classes help students discover and research internships in the field.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BS

How to Choose the Right Fashion School for You

Although there are fewer fashion program choices out there than, say, liberal arts program choices, you still have to sift through a lot of information to pick a school that'south right for yous. Hopefully, this list of schools has given y'all a good identify to outset—just there are other things to proceed in mind before committing to a detail school.

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Decide Between an Arts-Focused School and a More than Traditional College

Almost of the schools listed here are dedicated solely to fashion or a combination of fashion, blueprint, and arts. This may exist dandy for you if you're not interested in a liberal arts instruction or fulfilling general education requirements. If you're looking for a more "traditional" higher experience, still, yous may want to wait into liberal arts colleges that may not be 100% dedicated to fashion and didn't brand this listing of all-time style schools, but still offer great fashion programs for undergrads.

Choose a Schoolhouse That Offers a Degree You Desire

Many of the schools on the above list focus on style pattern, though more schools are incorporating merchandising and style business organisation into their degree options. If y'all're sure that you lot're interested in the design side of fashion, then this sort of program is a good fit.

There are so many other options, though, especially at powerhouses similar FIT. There's much more than to the fashion manufacture than blueprint, so make sure to cheque out other programs and majors before making a decision.

Consider Whether You Want a Flexible or Focused Programme

Some of the programs above offering plenty of room for students to explore their creative and design interests, and boast dozens of caste options and specializations. Others are more focused and narrow, and may be good fits for students who already know what interests they desire to pursue. Spend some fourth dimension exploring the programs' websites to get a improve experience for your options.

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Many mode pattern schools require applicants to submit a portfolio of work equally office of the admissions procedure.

Find a Program With Portfolio Requirements That You'll Be Able to Run across

You lot'll have to submit a portfolio every bit function of the awarding process for the schools listed above. Some of these portfolio requirements may seem reasonable, whereas others might be tough to meet. Explore each programme's portfolio requirements well ahead of any awarding deadlines.

Think Virtually the School More than Generally

Granted, many of the schools on this list are pattern- or arts-focused, simply your college experience volition depend on more than just what yous'll experience through your programme. Other, more applied student life concerns will definitely impact how happy you may be at a particular schoolhouse. What do you think of the educatee housing options? The dining plans? The student groups on campus? The general location?

Once you consider all these factors, you lot'll be better able to choose a style program that's right for yous. The amend the fit, the more successful you lot're likely to exist in schoolhouse and your career.

What's Next?

Choosing where you lot'll end upwards for college is a stressful decision for many students. Read more near if it matters, and why the college y'all select may impact your future. If you're interested in visual arts, you can check out this guide on How to Make an Fine art Portfolio and 12 Best Art Schools in the Earth.

One time you have an thought of where you'd like to end up, boost your chances of success by learning about The 7 Things That Look Really Good on a College Application. When y'all have several options to choose from, read well-nigh how to choose which college to actually attend.

Want to improve your SAT score past 160 points or your Human action score by four points? We've written a guide for each test well-nigh the top v strategies y'all must be using to take a shot at improving your score. Download information technology for free now:

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About the Writer

Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on SAT prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

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