Top Fashion Schools in America

Top Fashion Programs in the US

As prominent fashion blogger Jenny Wu pointed out in her recent interview with us, there are plenty of opportunities to study fashion outside of New York and Los Angeles. The most important thing to know before you embark on your education is what element of fashion you’d like to study. Are you interested in PR, journalism, or actually designing your own line?

Once you decide, it’s important to know that different schools specialize in different aspects of the industry, so do your research before you begin applying. We’ve put together a list of the top five fashion schools across the country to help you make your decision. Take a look at our list below!

>> Learn more about how to become a fashion designer


 Top Fashion School #5

Academy of Arts University


Program Locations:

San Francisco, CA

Offers Programs Online?

Yes

Why We Chose Them as a Top School for Fashion:

The Academy of Arts University offers their expertise in online courses as well as in traditional classroom settings, with locations in New York and San Francisco. Covering all aspects of the fashion industry, from journalism to visual merchandizing, this school is perfect for students looking to diversity their education and learn skill sets in more than one area.

During your time at school, you’ll have access to live chat sessions with fashion experts, and have the option to both submit to and work on the school’s own fashion publication. Upon graduation, you’ll receive the unique opportunity to see your designs showcased in an alumni fashion show, your first step toward the big leagues. Many Academy of Arts University graduates have gone on to work for huge names in the industry, such as Nike, Gap, and even Louis Voitton.

If you haven’t quite made up your mind, this school provides plenty of opportunities to work in the field while you’re receiving your degree, and with classes offered online, you can earn your degree from your living room and be working in the industry in no time.


Top Fashion School #4

Art Institute of Pittsburgh


Program Locations:

Pittsburgh, PA

Offers Programs Online?

Yes

Why We Chose Them as a Top School for Fashion:

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh offers an online fashion program that’s a guaranteed fast-track to working in the industry. This type of program is wonderful for working around your already busy schedule. Whether you’re already making your way into fashion and need the degree to back your up, or you’re already working in another field and are ready to make the jump, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh will give you what you need to become a full-blown fashion fashionista.

This school offers a virtual studio for its students, with advanced video tutorials available 24/7 to guide you through nearly every aspect of fashion. This way, you can pursue your education on your own time, picking up the vital skills and knowledge that will allow you to hit the ground running in your new position upon graduation. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh also offers approachable and skilled financial and counseling services to help ensure graduation.


Top Fashion School #3

Parsons


Program Locations:

New York City, NY

Offers Programs Online?

No

Why We Chose Them as a Top School for Fashion:

Connected to the very hip, very liberal New School, Parsons offers both online classes and classes at their campus locations in New York. You can get your education part-time when it’s convenient for you, or pack up and head to the city for their competitive and results-driven fashion program. The New School is a great venue for artists–especially design students–due to its emphasis on a creative learning environment as well as its central location in the West Village of Manhattan.

Parsons offers shows and exhibitions for its design students, and their peers studying other facets of fashion are more than welcome to join for inspiration. Because the program has an online component, many of the school’s essential resources are available online as well. Parsons has its own complete online library, an online fashion trend forecasting service, and an extensive online database of everything you’d ever need to complete your degree.

This program is a top choice whether you’re pursuing your degree online or in the classroom, and with New York City as the campus, you’re already that much closer to breaking in.


Top Fashion School #2

Berkeley College


Program Locations:

Multiple locations in New York and New Jersey

Offers Programs Online?

No

Why We Chose Them as a Top School for Fashion:

Another NYC-located fashion program, Berkeley sets itself apart by specializing only in its campus courses, and doesn’t offer an online option. What you get in return is one of the most hands-on programs available in the country. Berkeley College students are routinely involved in New York Fashion Week, including both working on designs and the function of the event itself. Every student works in his or her own speciality within Fashion Week, creating a rare opportunity that allows essential and career-making experience.

On campus, students are treated to lectures and presentations by fashion experts and big names in the field almost weekly, and here they have the opportunity to interact with their idols in a lengthy Q&A session following each event, as well as special workshops curated by the school. Off campus, field trips are frequently organized to get students out of the classroom and into design studios and showrooms. The school leaps at every opportunity it has to give students the hands-on experience needed to relay the skills and knowledge needed to jumpstart a career in fashion.


Top Fashion School #1

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise


Program Locations:

Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego, and San Francisco, California

Offers Programs Online?

No

Why We Chose Them as a Top School for Fashion:

The Fashion Institute has more diverse locations of any fashion program, with campuses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. Over any other program, the Fashion Institute studies strictly fashion in all of its variations, from PR to design and administration, and with a fashion-centric program and student body, there’s inspiration around every turn. There’s no online program offered here, so you’ll need to pack up and move to California if the Fashion Institute is your main choice.

The Fashion Institute sets itself apart by offering free workshops, and an intensive mentorship program with a working designer. This will give you the opportunity to lean everything you can without having to pay for additional courses, and develop a professional relationship that will last longer than your education. The Fashion Institute is also the most philanthropic of fashion schools, with a special program that reaches out to teens to get them interested in art.

One of the Fashion Institutes biggest draws is the relationship between the school and the hit design television show, Project Runway.

>> Get information on fashion design degrees and programs

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