Top Fashion Design Schools in the US

If you’re considering pursuing a career in fashion, it’s a good idea to start out by getting a bachelor’s degree in fashion. There are a lot of different schools that offer a variety of degrees in fashion, and it can be hard to sort through them all--especially when you’re not sure exactly what major to choose. This list, while not exhaustive, covers ten universities that offer fashion bachelor’s degrees and lists some of the different fashion-related programs offered at each.

Parsons New School of Design

Parsons School of Design, a college of the New School, has two campuses: one in New York City, the other in Paris. These two design hubs provide students with international connections and the ability to immerse themselves in both the American and French fashion worlds. Parsons offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in fashion, all of which emphasize the importance of collaboration with different disciplines. Students can choose from a large number of minors, from foreign languages to environmental studies, all of which are designed to give students a wider world view and even more material to draw from as they exercise their creativity. Parsons alumni regularly make it onto Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, and its partners include companies like J.Crew, Vogue, and the New York Times. Parsons is a very highly regarded design school, and is ranked the best art and design school in the United States by Format, QS World University Rankings, and others.

Pratt Institute

Pratt is a design and communications university with a Brooklyn and Manhattan campus. Its mission is to produce creators that contribute responsibly to society, which it does by teaching students the skills, knowledge, and foundation for judgment necessary in today’s world.

BFA Fashion Design

California College of the Arts

CCA is a private, nonprofit college that emphasizes ‘learning through making.’ It has two California Bay Area campuses: one in Oakland, the other in San Francisco.

New York Fashion Institute of Technology

Also located in NYC, FIT is a public institute associated with the State University of New York. In addition to clothing-related undergraduate fashion programs, FIT has programs centered on more niche areas of the fashion industry, such as cosmetics, accessories, and exhibition design.

LIM College

LIM, which stands for the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, is a fashion-specific university in Midtown Manhattan. It partners with fashion companies in NYC to give students experiential learning and internship opportunities.

Drexel University

Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is located in downtown Philadelphia, and its programs are almost entirely studio-based. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurriculars such as fashion show organization, producing for Drexel’s television station, or working on Drexel’s lifestyle magazine.

Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University is the largest private art and design university in the United States. It was founded in 1929 in San Francisco, and its hands-on curriculum is designed to lead students to jobs in their industry of choice.

Jefferson University

Jefferson is the result of a merger between Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University. Its multiple campuses are located throughout Philadelphia proper and its surrounding suburbs. Because the future of jobs and the job market is yet to be determined, Jefferson’s goal is to prepare its students for the jobs of the future, not just the jobs of today.

Cornell University

Cornell is an Ivy League University with its main campus located in Ithaca, New York. Its fashion-related programs combine design with science, and associated outreach programs include water quality assurance, pesticide protection, and apparel-related programs.

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