4. ANTWERP ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS (Antwerp, Belgium)

-Programs: Fashion Design
-Number of Students: 140
-Tuition: €6,000 ($8,000) Tuition is highly subsidized by the government, even for foreign students)
-Misc: Required Dutch language proficiency.
-Famous Grads: Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee (The Antwerp Six), Martin Margiela, Veronique Branquinho, Haider Ackermann, Peter Pilotto, Bruno Pieters.
-The Bottom Line: The Royal Academy is an elite design school. It’s known for its serious students–many drop out because they can’t handle the work load. Since the Antwerp Six put the school on fashion’s map in the early 1980s, it’s continued to produce all-star designers. If you’re exceptionally dedicated, with an experimental, innovative, and avant garde sensibility, this may be the place for you.