What Is the Best School for Fashion Design

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Thinking near entering the way manufacture? You're in for a fun, challenging career path. If you want to be well-prepared to enter any expanse of way—either it'southward the design side or the concern side—an education at a well-reputed school volition definitely exist helpful.

Earlier getting into the listing of best mode schools, I'll talk a chip about why you might desire to attend a fashion school and how I compiled these rankings.

What Is a Fashion Schoolhouse?

A fashion school offers degrees that are specialized for students who plan on pursuing a career in the fashion industry. They ofttimes offer several different majors or specializations.

The virtually popular thing to do with a fashion degree is blueprint, merely there are many other careers yous can pursue with a caste in this field, including:

  • Fashion merchandising and fashion buying
  • Way marketing and PR
  • Fashion production and management
  • Fashion journalism and publishing
  • Advertising
  • Fashion engineering

A great fashion program will provide easily-on experience in the classroom and the field, also as enough of opportunities for internships and jobs for both students and graduates.

The Ranking System

Ranking lists can be actually slap-up if you want to get a general idea of what schools are out there and whether they fit your interests and criteria. The problem with many lists is that there's no standardized ranking process or criteria, and they're non always transparent about the ranking process.

Although this particular ranking list should also just be used as a starting point for your ain higher research, I want to exist much more than clear almost the process I used to decide the best fashion schools. First, I started past searching for colleges and universities that have a dedicated fashion major for undergraduates. After that, I took these major criteria into account:

  • Full general School Reputation: The fashion industry is incredibly competitive to break into (cheque out The Devil Wears Prada for a very tiny, very dramatized taste of what I mean). Information technology's important that undergraduate students take admission to the resources that come with a schoolhouse that's well-regarded by the industry. As you'll run across when you get through the rankings listing, many fashion icons have visited or even lectured these schools for educational classes and seminars—this is a sign that these schools are taken seriously by those in way.
  • Force of Related Graduate Programs: Although I only listed schools hither with defended undergraduate programs in fashion, schools got points if they have well-respected graduate programs in fashion or other related blueprint fields. Undergraduate students studying fashion tend to do good from faculty and resources in these graduate departments.
  • Alumni: When a school boasts many notable alumni, this signals a couple of important things: the programme itself produces strong graduates, and the schoolhouse's alumni network is strong and well-continued. Successful alumni heave a school's reputation and make it easier for y'all to detect a task later on.
  • Location: The best internship and task opportunities (also as galleries and design studios) are going to exist in large way capitals: places similar NYC, Paris, Milan, London, and Hong Kong. Many of the schools listed below are located in these cities or accept satellite campuses or programs in that location. Schools got bonus points if they give students options to study in a variety of locations.

The Best Fashion Schools, Ranked

Although I was articulate about the criteria used to compile this listing, yous should use it primarily as a jumping-off indicate for your own research—not an ultimate guide to the quality of a schoolhouse'south program.

I encourage you to focus less on the strict order of rankings (which is pretty subjective to begin with) and more on the individual characteristics of each school.

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

#i Fashion Institute of Engineering science (FIT), New York, NY

FIT is mayhap the most famous schoolhouse for those aspiring to enter the world of fashion. Its programs focus on preparing students for professional excellence in design and business concern. FIT offers an incredibly wide range of undergraduate caste programs, including Accessories Blueprint, Fabric Styling, Fashion Business Direction, and Jewelry Design. In total, the schoolhouse offers 48 degree programs in way and other creative and business professions and is consistently ranked equally one of the best fashion schools.

The school apparently takes full reward of its NYC location, taking students on frequent field trips to corporate headquarters, design studios, galleries, and museums. Finally, many alumni are particularly successful in the business organization side of fashion and human activity equally VPs, presidents, and CEOs.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA, BS

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Attending whatever fashion school in NY will come with some important advantages, including ease of access to the mode industry.

#2 Parsons The New Schoolhouse, New York, NY

The New School takes a more than focused approach to manner, offer just a BFA in fashion pattern for style-minded undergraduates. In that location are many other strong programs offered through the school, however. The New Schoolhouse is a well-respected school in all sorts of design fields, including Fine Arts and Interior Design, with Parsons ranked internationally as one of the best fashion design schools.

The fashion design plan is housed in Parson's School of Style, which has some strong style Master's programs. Students consummate a senior thesis as a capstone to their studies, which is great for developing a portfolio.

Students can have advantage of the many professional opportunities available in NYC, especially with the school's list of notable alumni (including Isaac Mizrahi and Donna Karan).

  • Style degrees offered: BFA

#3 Pratt Institute, New York, NY

It'southward no surprise that the meridian iii schools on this list are located in NYC. Mode design students at the Pratt Institute have access to some great resource, in function due to the school'due south location—for i, guest lecturers from all areas of the industry often give talks and seminars. Students here also cease upwardly with some corking internships (at companies like Rag & Bone, for example).

The schoolhouse also has strong blueprint programs in other areas, including industrial and interior design. All students seem to benefit from strong career back up from Pratt's Center for Career and Professional Development, which presented more than fourscore programs last twelvemonth on topics such as career prep and innovation.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

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

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

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

You lot may not think of Savannah as a fashion capital, merely y'all don't have to. Fashion design students take the opportunity to written report in Atlanta and Hong Kong.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#5 Kent State Academy, Kent, OH

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

The school has its own satellite campus in NYC, which is definitely important because that Kent, OH isn't exactly a fashion uppercase. Well-nigh 45 students a year head off to Florence, Italia to study at the school's Palazzo campus. Kent State besides has a partnership with The Paris Academy in Paris, France—overall, students seem to have lots of options when information technology comes to off-campus experiences.

Finally, the school claims that their placement rate in the fashion manufacture for graduates of the Fashion School is over 90%.

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

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#half-dozen Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Drexel, which offers a bachelor'south in mode design, prepares students for careers in design, styling, ad, and estimator-aided and technical design. The school encourages hands-on experiences in the industry by requiring students to submit designs to national and international competitions.

Drexel has a couple of interesting programs for fashion-minded students. First, there's a unique half-dozen month "co-op" program—an extended internship of sorts—where students work at different companies around the country to develop their skills. Second, there's a written report abroad plan at the Higher of London.

There are many complementary undergraduate programs, including Design & Merchandising and Entertainment & Art.

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#7 Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

Thomas Jefferson University, which recently merged with Philadelphia University, offers BS degrees in Way Blueprint and Style Merchandising & Management. The Design degree is in the School of Pattern and Engineering, while the Merchandising & Management Degree is in the Schoolhouse of Business organisation, so you'll get totally unlike experiences with the ii different degrees. Both are comprehensive programs, and the design degree is a rise star in rankings of best fashion design schools.

Both programs offering report abroad options in Rome, London, Paris, and more. They provide easily-on training, and accept connections to some of the biggest fashion companies in the world including Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, and more. Jefferson too hosts an annual fashion show and produces a style mag, which are among that many extracurriculars that students tin participate in.

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

  • Mode degrees offered: BS

#8 Marist Higher, Poughkeepsie, NY

The fashion program at Marist offers two tracks, the BFA in Fashion Pattern or the BS in Fashion Merchandising. The mode plan is well-rounded and aims to set up students for all aspects of the fashion industry. As seniors, Manner Design majors blueprint and execute an apparel collection for the school's Silver Needle Fashion Evidence nether the supervision of a professional designer. Merchandising students complete a projection their senior year in collaboration with a fashion company. They can as well work with Mporium, an entrepreneurial bazaar operated by Marist mode students.

Marist is located in Poughkeepsie, about two hours north of New York City. The metropolis is reachable by train, which makes it a good selection for students who want to intern in the metropolis and do good from Marist's competitive fashion program. Students are encouraged to complete at least two internships.

Marist has additional requirements to be accepted to the style program. They also offer a Pre-College summer session, which can be taken for credit.

  • Manner Degrees Offered: BFA, BS

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

Otis is an interesting option for fashion-minded students for a few reasons. First, fashion design students accept the choice to choose a Costume Design emphasis rails inside their major—a unique programme of study that I haven't seen at any of these other schools.

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

Current designers serve equally mentors for style students, and recent upperclassmen mentor companies include places like 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 capital that NY is, at that place are still quite a few designers based in the city who are known for their trendy and unique work.

  • Mode degrees offered: BFA

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

#10 Rhode Island Schoolhouse of Pattern (RISD), Providence, RI

RISD is a very well-known and well-respected art and blueprint establishment for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergrads here have the option to go a BFA in "Clothes Design."

The apparel design program emphasizes (perhaps a bit more than than other top programs) the development of advanced technical skills like superior design sketching, blueprint cutting, and 3D draping. The schoolhouse requires students to participate in internships and competitive opportunities, which thrusts you into the fashion industry fairly early on. The program'south senior thesis project is described every bit a "unified body of work that expresses personal design sensibility and showcases professional-class conceptual and technical skills."

Students regularly visit NYC's fashion district, which is fairly shut. Providence itself may not seem like a fashion upper-case letter, but it has a very high number of artists per capita. Information technology'due south small just concentrated!

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#11 Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH

Students here who choose to pursue a BFA in Fashion Design continue to do any number of things in the fashion industry, including working equally fashion forecasters and costume designers. The school also offers an MFA in fashion design.

Columbus has vi large studios open up to educatee admission in addition to other labs (for example, a dye lab and pattern/draping lab). Notable alumni include people similar Bruno Grizzo (who worked for Calvin Klein and Lanvin) and Genoveva Christoff (who has her own successful visitor).

  • Fashion degrees offered: BFA

#12 Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Style students hither become a degree in Clothes, Merchandising, and Design, which is a bit broader than some of the options at other top fashion schools. A broad degree means broad career opportunities, including things like public relations managing director or mode journalism.

The school offers some impressive high-tech equipment, like a 3-D body scanner and industrial digital printer. Special classes help students find and inquiry internships in the field.

  • Style degrees offered: BS

How to Choose the Correct Fashion Schoolhouse for Y'all

Although there are fewer fashion plan choices out there than, say, liberal arts programme choices, you all the same have to sift through a lot of information to choice a school that'due south right for you lot. Hopefully, this list of schools has given you a proficient place to start—but there are other things to keep in listen before committing to a particular school.

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

Most of the schools listed hither are dedicated solely to way or a combination of fashion, design, and arts. This may exist great for you if you're not interested in a liberal arts education or fulfilling full general education requirements. If yous're looking for a more "traditional" college experience, however, you lot may want to wait into liberal arts colleges that may non be 100% defended to fashion and didn't make this list of best fashion schools, but still offering great manner programs for undergrads.

Choose a School That Offers a Degree Yous Want

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

At that place are then many other options, though, especially at powerhouses similar FIT. There'southward much more to the style manufacture than design, then make certain to cheque out other programs and majors before making a decision.

Consider Whether You Want a Flexible or Focused Program

Some of the programs above offer enough of room for students to explore their artistic and design interests, and boast dozens of degree options and specializations. Others are more than focused and narrow, and may exist good fits for students who already know what interests they desire to pursue. Spend some time exploring the programs' websites to become a amend feel for your options.

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Many fashion design schools require applicants to submit a portfolio of work as office of the admissions process.

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

You'll have to submit a portfolio as part of the application procedure for the schools listed above. Some of these portfolio requirements may seem reasonable, whereas others might be tough to meet. Explore each plan's portfolio requirements well ahead of whatsoever application deadlines.

Think Most the Schoolhouse More than By and large

Granted, many of the schools on this list are design- or arts-focused, only your college feel will depend on more than just what you'll feel through your programme. Other, more practical student life concerns will definitely bear on how happy you lot may exist at a detail schoolhouse. What do yous remember of the student housing options? The dining plans? The student groups on campus? The general location?

Once you lot consider all these factors, you'll be better able to choose a fashion program that's right for y'all. The amend the fit, the more successful you're probable to be in school and your career.

What'south Next?

Choosing where you'll end up for higher is a stressful decision for many students. Read more about if it matters, and why the college you select may impact your time to come. If yous're interested in visual arts, you lot can check out this guide on How to Make an Fine art Portfolio and 12 All-time Art Schools in the Earth.

In one case you have an idea of where you'd like to end upwardly, boost your chances of success past learning about The vii Things That Look Really Expert on a College Application. When yous take several options to choose from, read about how to choose which college to actually attend.

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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 Sabbatum prep and higher counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

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