The Top Fashion Design Schools to Attend, The Top Fashion Design Colleges

Schools of Fashion Design

Your Life After High School - Getting Ready for College

Information on the top Fashion colleges in the U.S. and England

A list of the top schools of fashion design in the United States and England.

With TV shows like Project RUNWAY and Fashion Star, it's a no wonder that high school grads are racing to New York city runways. Their sights aren't set on the glamorous lives of fashion models, instead, they are wanna be fashion designers. Colleges throughout the U.S. have had a large increase in enrollment for design. Do you have the drive, audacity, and creativity to make a name for yourself? Remember, you do not have to attend a college for fashion design. This can be a career where you can be self-taught. Many competitors on these TV shows have proven so. Here is information on some of the top Fashion Colleges in the U.S. and England.

Schools of Fashion Design

Northeast, USA:

Parsons School of Design, a division of The New School has become a household names thanks to hosting the television series Project Runway, created by Parson’s fashion design professor Tim Gunn. Parson’s is a well-renowned institution and is considered to emphasize concept and theory. Graduates from Parsons include Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi, and Tom Ford. The New School has distinguished alumni not only in fashion design but in other areas of art and culture: Madeline dL’Engle, Jack Keroac, Marlon Brando, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Tennessee Williams to name a few. Tuition: $40,000.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, or FIT is located in Manhattan just south of the garment district. This institution is known for its detail in construction and a heavy emphasis on technique, and is world renowned. FIT is a CUNY school, an acronym for City University of New York, which means its a public school and much less expensive than its competitors. Students begin working towards an associate’s degree and may choose to progress to a bachelor’s after the first two years of study. Perks include the Museum of FIT with head curator Valerie Steele. Alumni include Calvin Klein, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors. Tuition: $3,714 per year in state, $11,142 out of state.

Drexel University Drexel’s program for fashion design is considered one of the top in the country and includes a six month co-op internship as well as a study abroad option for sophomores with the London College of Fashion. Students have gone on to graduate school at La Chambre. Tuition $32,000-$39,000.

MidWest USA:

Kent State University, in Ohio is an elite fashion school that takes a well-rounded approach to design and construction by offering two different methods of study: one more focused on concept and illustration, and the second on technicality and problem solving. The scholarship endowment is large, and the university offers study abroad programs for students in Paris and Milan. Tuition: $9,000 in state, $16,900 out of state.

England:

Central St. Martins, of The University of the Arts, London, is regarded as one of the most (if not the most) prestigious fashion design schools in the world, boasting alumni such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and John Galliano. The school is also known for its elite professors, such as Louise Wilson, who taught all three designers mentioned above. Tuition: $14,900-$20,000.

London College of Fashion Although better regarded for its fashion journalism and merchandizing schools, their design courses are strong and focus on technique. Tuition: $18,500.