Search Fashion Schools by Location, Subject & Degree

Choose a State: No Preference Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas British Columbia (Canada) California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming OR Region / Country: No Preference - Help w/ Regions - Central Mid Atlantic Mid South Mid West North East Pacific West South East West - Countries - Canada Italy United Kingdom Choose a Subject: No Preference Fashion & Retail Management Fashion Design Fashion Marketing Fashion Merchandising Choose a Degree: No Preference Course / Class Workshop / Seminar Certificate Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctorate Diploma

Top Fashion Schools

How to Choose a Fashion School

Consider the following when shopping for the fashion school that will fit you best.

Degrees and Programs.
The fashion industry is a $50 billion industry involving the work of thousands, including designers, patternmakers, sewing machine operators, marketers, and buyers. Which role in the fashion industry do you want to do? Schools that offer programs in merchandising, for example, may not also offer programs specifically for design.

Research career trends and growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5% growth for fashion designers and relatively flat growth for fashion buyers, but jobs such as sewing machine operators and cut-and-sew apparel manufacturers are declining as globalization increases. Although the number of jobs for fashion buyers may not be increasing, their role is gaining in importance, as many retailers seek to satisfy customer demand with affordable fashion.

Location
You should also consider location for fashin school. Contacts with important industry professionals can be made during school, and these contacts can lead to valuable internship and employment opportunities.

Faculty
Because it is an always-changing business, fashion programs should be taught by professionals who are currently working in the fashion industry. Curricula should cover a broad range of topics -- design programs should include design classes complemented by business and marketing classes, while fashion merchandising programs should also offer design, along with courses in business and analysis.

Fashion competitions offer excellent opportunities for designers to gain experience and recognition in the industry. Students might consider talking with alumni about their success and how important their education was to their careers. Also look at the career placement services offered by the schools you're considering..

Accreditation
Finally, if you are looking solely for fashion design, look for an accredited school. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is the national accrediting body for fashion design schools, and accredits over 280 fashion design schools.

Accredited schools include the Academy of Art University, the Art Institute of Atlanta, and many others.