•FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT) •NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) •PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN •FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING (FIDM) •SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY •PENN STATE •FORDHAM UNIVERSITY •UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN •RUTGERS •BOSTON UNIVERSITY
The fashion industry is attracting more would-be employees than ever now. Thanks to more perceived accessibility through (sometimes not-so-realistic) fashion reality shows and the proliferation of fashion related blogs, it’s an industry that’s in high demand. However, it’s also a notoriously difficult industry to break into, so you have to make yourself stand out. One of the ways to do that is to get a stellar education (that hooks you up with stellar internships).
We’ve already listed the 50 best fashion design schools in the world and the 20 best in the US, but we’re well aware that not everyone who wants to be in fashion wants to be a designer (like, say, all of us here at Fashionista). So we’ve narrowed down the 10 best schools to put you a few steps closer to your dream career in fashion–think fashion journalism, merchandising, public relations, advertising, and much more.
It’s summertime, and chances are you’re heading to the beach or hanging out with friends. But soon enough it will be September, so you might as well start thinking about your future educational endeavors now. If you have an interest in fashion, whether to design it or take a more behind-the-scenes role, there are tons of amazing school options to consider. For a comprehensive look, you can take a peek at our Top 50 Fashion Schools list, which pretty much covers the entire world. Think you want to stick with US schools? Then you’re in the right place!
We’ve compiled a list of the 20 best fashion schools in the country. As with our previous fashion school rankings, this is not scientific. We looked at data, jobs procured, opinions of people in the industry, and standout program offerings. We also wanted to show you that great schools aren’t limited to NYC–you’ll find colleges located in all parts of the country.
This list is meant to provide an overview of the schools’ strengths and to highlight some of their unique attributes. You’ll find fashion design programs here, but some of the schools listed don’t offer fashion design. Instead, they’ve gained a spot because they offer other amazing programs to prepare you for a career in fashion. We hope it’s helpful as a starting point. (Click here for the full list.)
Tuition prices don’t include fees and housing. And if you see an asterisk (*), it denotes a CFDA-affiliated program. Like our previous rankings, this list includes undergraduate degrees only.
Click through to review the schools and good luck as you embark on a new career!
(*Additional reporting by Sara Shabtai*)
Click through for our US schools list–no slideshow required.
