Categories: EducationFashion

Top 10 Best Fashion Schools in the United States

The United States is the home to some of the best fashion schools in the world. If you are passionate about fashion and you’d like to develop a career in that field, we have got your back. Following are ten of the best fashion schools in the U.S. Take a look to find out what makes them outstanding.

10 Rhode Island School of Design [Providence, RI]

The Rhodes Island School of Design offers course programs in apparel design, jewelry, textiles, and metalsmithing. It is one of the respected fashion schools worldwide due to its high-profile fashion design programs. They hold an annual RISD runway show in which students participate in having a study abroad program in Rome. In addition to that, they have an exchange study program with schools from 26 different countries.

Samples from RISD runway shows

9 Savannah College of Art and Design [Savannah, GA]

Savannah is a fashion institute founded in 1978. Its major fashion programs include BFA, MA, and MFA in fashion design, fashion marketing, and management as well as accessories design. They have a unique luxury and fashion management program that does not compare with other institutions. You can also enroll in their online program which offers an MA in Fashion online. It was the first Art and Design Institute to receive an award for Outstanding Distance Education Program. It has also been awarded the rank of Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning from Sloan Consortium.

Samples of Savannah College students’ designs

8 Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising [Los Angeles, CA]

 Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising LA offers some course programs related to the fashion industry. The school provides practical learning and experiences which will help you with your career in the future. They have internship programs and study tours which students can participate in across different fashion capitals. It has four campuses situated in LA, Irvine, San Francisco, and San Diego. As a student of FIDM, you are allowed to take part in the annual Debut Runway which is publicized on TV and online.

Samples of FIDM students’ designs

7 Otis College of Art and Design [Los Angeles, CA]

Otis College of Art and Design offers a BFA in fashion design which you can combine with costume design. It offers top fashion design programs directed by Rosemary Brantley. Studying at Otis College comes with many benefits including working with design mentors. They provide training in a matched fashion design studio which will enhance your learning experience.

Samples from Otis students’ fashion shows

6 Massachusetts College of Art and Design [Boston, MA]

 Massachusetts College offers fashion courses in Fashion Design, Accessories Design, and Fashion Marketing and Management. It was founded in 1873 and is the only freestanding institute in the US that is public sponsored. Studying at this college opens you to a lot of internship opportunities with prestigious personnel in the fashion industry. This is Saying thanks to their collaborations with various organizations and corporations. They have a MassArt Fashion Show for exhibiting collections from seniors, and a few design from the juniors.

Samples from Massachusetts College MassArt Fashion Show

5 Drexel University [Philadelphia, PA]

Drexel University is an 1891 fashion school that has built a large network of influential partners. It has been rated as one of the best schools with good student experience alongside an abroad study program for a period.  It offers course programs on fashion design as well as design and merchandising. The school offers business component training to equip you with the skills you need for your career in the outside world.

Samples from Drexel fashion shows

4 Kent State University [Kent, OH]

The Kent State University is one of the most affordable fashion schools in the US. As a public university, it features in the top 100 fashion schools list for most researched (77) and community engagements (76). The fashion school is under the College of Arts, and it offers a BA and BFA degrees in fashion. Other course programs include BFA in Crafts, MA in Fine Arts, and MFA in Design/Technology. They have an outside garment center studio in NYC where 120 students go to study on a yearly basis.

Samples from Kent Fashion School student shows

3 Pratt Institute [Brooklyn, NY]

Pratt University is a fashion school that offers programs in BA and MA in Fashion Design. It is an upcoming fashion school that has seen a lot of its graduates land jobs in popular fashion companies in the US. In addition to fashion and design, it also offers an elective in fashion editorial/magazine publishing. They have an annually held Pratt Institute Fashion show that presents their students with internship opportunities with famous designers in the US. Additionally, they offer an abroad exchange program in London, Florence, Milan, and Copenhagen to mention a few.

Samples of Pratt Institute student fashion designs

2 Fashion Institute of Technology [NY]

The Fashion Institute of Technology, popularly known as the FIT, is the State University of New York. It offers course programs in fashion design, fashion studies, and fashion marketing. The school has been in progress since 1944 and is one of the most reputable fashion schools in the world. In the fashion design department, you will be opened to a lot of different design techniques incorporated with technology. On top of that, be prepared for a real-life experience where you will showcase your fashion capabilities.

The museum at the FIT

Samples from the FIT student shows

1 Parsons, the New School for Design [NY]

The Parsons school is also based in NY and has one of the highest records of international students’ enrollment. The fashion design course program consists of fashion design, fashion marketing, fashion studies, and textiles or fashion design and society. Learn new concepts and urban design all together at the Parsons school for design. In the US, it is ranked number one fashion school and the second in the world.  It was founded as the Chase School in 1896 and renamed Parsons, the new school for design after the renowned Parsons table.

Samples from Parsons runaways