Are you searching for the best fashion colleges in the United States? Campusbeatz offers you a well-researched list of the best and most outstanding fashion universities in the US and other vital information about those schools, which you might love to know.
Students who want to work in the fashion sector can earn specialized degrees from a fashion school, and studying fashion in the United States offers you a variety of knowledge about fashion; you will also be taught by professionals, and you will mingle with people of the same interest.
The Top 10 Best Fashion Colleges in the United States
Even though there are a lot of fashion schools in the United States, the ones listed below are our 10 favorites.
1. Fashion Design and Merchandising Institute (Los Angeles, CA)
The Fashion Design and Merchandising Institute, which opened in 1969, is the first college on our list of the best fashion schools in the United States.
You may be interested to know that the Fashion Design and Merchandising Institute currently offers more than 20 majors and degree programs in fields like digital marketing, beauty business management, clothing technical design, and master’s in business administration.
With a good acceptance rate of 38% and a teaching methodology that combines FIDM SuperLabsTM with Classroom Partner Projects, where students design products for actual brands while also building their portfolios, this school ranks among the best fashion schools in the US.
2. University of Lasell’s School of Fashion (Newton, MA)
Next on our list of the best and most outstanding fashion schools in the US is the Lasell University School of Fashion, known to offer all admitted students a wealth of chances for development and a good acceptance rate.
During their time at this great school, students do at least one internship with companies like Coach, Marc Jacobs, and Tommy Hilfiger. They also have the unique opportunity to take part in the Paris Immersion Program, which involves going to Paris, working as interns during Men’s Fashion Week, and taking classes from well-known professionals in the fashion industry. This is one of the things that makes this school special.
You might love to know that the 3000+ objects in this school’s Fashion Collection, which is available to students, are from more than 200 years of fashion history, which helps offer them viral knowledge.
Unlike other top fashion schools in the United States, the yearly fashion show at this school allows all first-year admitted students to display their creations (compared to schools that only host senior showcases), and the fashion shows are entirely run by students.
3. University of Oregon State (Corvallis, OR)
The University of Oregon State is another great choice for anyone who wants to study fashion in the United States, as the school offers great fashion courses with unique differences that have gained great recognition over the years.
You might be interested to know that the main focus of the apparel design program at Oregon State University is on designing for the market and the consumer. This helps all accepted students get ready for a better career in the outdoor and sports industries.
The great and unique program offered through the College of Business, which promises knowledge of the fashion business, design, production, and marketing, helps perfect students, and this has made the school rank among the best fashion colleges in the United States.
Additionally, there is also a pre-designed program for first- and second-year college students that requires them to take certain classes, and admission into this great school is competitive, including the number of students the faculty can work with being limited.
The apparel design program requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 in OSU classes and pre-design classes, and all interested applicants will have to send in a portfolio of work that shows how good they are at basic design skills and ideas.
According to my research, Oregon State University has recently teamed up with Browzwear, a top design software company, so that all admitted students can use the same advanced 3D design tools that are used by top brands of sports and outdoor clothing to help perfect them after graduating.
4. The Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
Established in 1891, the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design was named for alumna Antoinette Passo Westphal as a result of one of the largest private donations in school history for its uniqueness over the years.
The great institution offers around 20 undergraduate degrees with specializations in areas like fashion design, interior design, and design & merchandising, and the curriculum for its fashion design degree is studio- and boutique-based.
One good thing about this school is that all admitted students are immersed in practical, artistic encounters where they can design clothing for top business figures, and through the school’s co-op program, all admitted third-year students receive commercial studio or atelier training in addition to classroom instruction.
Lastly, all admitted students have 24/7 access to the studio and other cutting-edge tools like laser cutters and 3D printers to help perfect their work for the future.
5. College of Art & Design in Savannah (Savannah, GA)
Ranking 5th on our list of the best and most outstanding fashion colleges in the US is the College of Art & Design in Savannah, established in 1978 and also recognized as the first institution in the United States to provide an MA in accessory design and the only institution in the entire world to offer an MFA, a unique difference.
Additionally, the jewelry program is also one of the best and biggest in the U.S., and all admitted students have successfully worked with Fossil and Zales. Additionally, admitted students go on to have success in the fashion industry when they have the chance to work with well-known brands.
6. Pratt University (New York, NY)
The Pratt Institute, which was established in 1887, provides a BFA in fashion design and has graduated a good number of students who are doing great in the fashion world, which has earned it a spot among the best fashion colleges in the United States.
All students who are accepted must be fluent in 2D and 3D construction processes and be able to analyze materials for their sustainability. Students usually choose classes like shape and form, knit structures, and drape and construct.
You may be interested to know that world-famous fashion stars and business leaders have graced the halls of the great Pratt Institute, which Business Insider recently ranked as the sixth-best design school in the world.
7. The Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles, CA)
Established in 1918, the Otis College of Art and Design was started by the founder of the Los Angeles Times, Harrison Gray Otis. This school is now known as one of the private art and design schools in the United States with the most students from different cultures.
Also, the fashion design program at Otis is thought to be one of the best and most outstanding in the United States because of how unique it is and how well it has done over the years. Students who are accepted to this school spend their first two years in the Foundation Studio, Creative Action courses, liberal arts and science classes, and other classes that help them develop their creative and critical thinking skills.
The foundation classes in this school help teach admitted students things like how to draw from life, how to write in the digital age, and how to make connections through color and design.
Lastly, the Liberal Arts and Science program is built around five major themes: creativity, diversity, identity, sustainability, and social responsibility.
8. Kent State University’s Fashion School (Kent, OH)
The Fashion School at Kent State University comes in at number 8 on our list of the best fashion schools in the United States. All accepted students do at least one internship during their program.
All aspiring students should plan to submit proof of a minimum GPA of 3.0, as well as a minimum ACT composite score of 21 or a new SAT score of 1,060, and students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 to participate in their study-away trip, which is well worth the effort.
9. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) (New York, NY)
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) was established in 1944 as part of the State University of New York (SUNY), and all admitted students can earn a BFA degree in sportswear, intimate apparel, or knitwear, and all graduates must complete an internship, which is one of the unique facts about the school that makes it rank among the top fashion schools in the United States.
In this institution, all admitted students can expect to be immersed in a wide range of topics and to experiment with a diverse range of materials, and all applicants must submit a competitive portfolio consisting of three projects.
10. The Parsons School of Design at The New School (New York, NY)
This list of the best fashion colleges in the United States wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Parsons School of Design at The New School. It was started by William Merritt Chase and was the first college to offer courses in fashion design, interior design, graphic design, and advertising.
You might be interested to know that a BFA in Fashion Design is available to students who want to concentrate on one of four areas: collections, fashion products, materiality, or systems and society.
After the fourth year, each accepted student finishes a thesis project that will be shown to professionals in the field. Other graduate students and accepted students may move on to visual communication, creative technical studio work, and an introduction to fashion studies in the second year.
Conclusion
We hope our list of the best and most outstanding fashion schools in the United States will ease your search. Also, feel free to ask more questions by using the comment section below.
