Undergraduate - Fashion Design

BoF’s Global assessment of fashion schools empowers prospective students to make the most informed decision about their education. The selection is fuelled by rigorous methodology and input from leading experts on the BoF Education Council.

In this article you can find the selection of best schools for Undergraduate – Fashion Design.

Explore BoF’s full report on The Best Fashion Schools in the World 2019 and the new methodology here.

Read the introduction of this assessment here.

Aalto University, School of Arts, Design & Architecture

Helsinki, Finland

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 16
International students: 0%
Acceptance rate: 9%
Tuition domestic/intl: $0k/$0k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

The Helsinki school fosters a culturally rich environment with its close proximity to international institutions, approaching fashion from a cross-disciplinary angle.

With an acceptance rate of only 9 percent, Aalto University’s BA Fashion Design course is one of the most exclusive programmes of its kind. Teaching is conducted in Finnish or Swedish at the Helsinki-based school. Aalto emphasises interdisciplinary studies, and BA Fashion Design students are encouraged to dip their toes into other courses within other faculties of the University’s School of Art, Design and Architecture. Students and alumni report high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching, resources and facilities, and overall educational objectives. Alumni can be found working at brands such as Alexandar McQueen, Céline, Marimekko, Nike, and others. However, a relatively low proportion of Aalto students (65 percent) complete internships during the course of their degree.

Rome, Italy

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 53
International students: 15%
Acceptance rate: 43%
Tuition domestic/intl: $11k/$14k
Degrees offered: BA Costume & Fashion

Nestled in the heart of Rome, the faculty scopes out the historical framework of fashion through specialist learning resources.

Accademia Costume & Moda (ACM) is a private, family-owned non-profit educational institution that emphasises the historical and cultural contexts of fashion — an approach that is complemented by the school’s location in Rome by the historic River Tiber, and its proximity to several costume archives. The school is also close to the headquarters of a number of luxury brands including Fendi, Valentino, Bulgari and Gucci’s creative team and has strong links to the global fashion industry. ACM encourages student involvement in international live project briefs, exhibitions and competitions, and final-year students receive support for participation in the LVMH Graduate Prize, CFDA, Vogue Talents and H&M design award, among other international competitions. Such opportunities are reflected in the experiences of students and alumni of the school, who report high levels of satisfaction with the quality of careers services, networking events and recruitment companies available to them.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Best in: Best in global influence.

Average cohort size: 50
International students: 53%
Acceptance rate: 20%
Tuition domestic/intl: $2k/$9k
Degrees offered: BSc Fashion & Textile Technologies, Fashion & Design

The largest fashion institute in the Netherlands collaborates with companies abroad to highlight fashion’s role as an international force for good.

The biggest fashion institute in the Netherlands places an emphasis on the global and vocational elements of the industry. AMFI’s exchange contracts with 35 universities worldwide provide students with the opportunity for an international education, while six-month internships are a compulsory component of all of its courses. Thanks to its structure of specialisations and minors, which range from Textiles to 3D Hypercraft (a 3D design prototyping software), students and alumni of AMFI’s four-year BSc Fashion & Design programme report high levels of satisfaction with the Institute’s breadth of curriculum. Furthermore, AMFI’s own clothing brand Individuals, established 11 years ago, allows senior students from across the school’s departments to design, brand and produce a collection. Graduates of the programme have secured employment at fashion companies including H&M, Zara, McQueen, Givenchy and Alexander Wang.

Central Saint Martins

London, United Kingdom

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 120
International students: 64%
Acceptance rate: 6%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$25k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Knitwear, BA (Hons) Fashion Design Womenswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Marketing, BA (Hons) Fashion Design Menswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Print

CSM carries a long legacy of developing international fashion talent at the heart of the fashion hub London.

With an acceptance rate of just 6 percent, Central St Martins’ BA Fashion Design programme is one of the most exclusive in the world. A constituent college of the University of the Arts London, CSM is a key player in London’s fashion scene and has trained some of the biggest names in the industry, including, on average, over half of all designers on show at London Fashion Week. Prominent graduates include Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, John Galliano and Christopher Kane, to name a few. CSM offers undergraduate students an elective Diploma in Professional studies, which comprises one year of industrial placement with hosts in fashion capitals across the globe. The school’s annual White Show — entirely conceived, created and managed by first-year students — sets the tone for hands-on experience and close collaboration between fashion design and communications students.

China Academy of Art

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Best in: Best in global influence, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 120
International students: 21%
Acceptance rate: 2%
Tuition domestic/intl: $2k/$2k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

Supported by the Ministry of Education, the faculty teaches traditional fashion practices and introduces them to the international leagues.

China Academy of Art, a joint endeavour by the country’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, is the China’s first university to implement design studies. With an acceptance rate of just 2 percent, the school’s BA Fashion Design programme ranks among the most exclusive of its kind, though a high volume of applications are likely due to its uniqueness and positioning within the region. The school is also unique compared to its global contemporaries in its emphasis on traditional processes of dyeing and weaving, and use of in-house textile design. As a result, students are equipped to enter a range of fashion production disciplines on graduation.

Cornell University, College of Human Ecology

Ithaca, New York, United States

Best in: Best in global influence, Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 10
International students: 31%
Acceptance rate: 25%
Tuition domestic/intl: $37k/$55k
Degrees offered: BS Fashion Design

True to its Ivy League research status, the faculty explores research beyond traditional fashion boundaries, venturing into science.

As part of an Ivy League university, Cornell’s undergraduate Fashion Design programme offers significant opportunities for students to undertake interdisciplinary research. Cornell’s Fiber Science & Apparel Design Department is housed within the university’s College of Human Ecology, and places an emphasis on quantitative reasoning and writing skills. Fashion Design students graduate from Cornell with a Bachelor of Science degree, rather than the Bachelor of Arts that are generally awarded by other programs. Students and alumni surveyed by BoF report high satisfaction with the quality of academic resources and campus facilities, but the school performs relatively poorly in regards to satisfaction with available internship support.

De Montfort University

Leicester, United Kingdom

Best in: Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 69
International students: 13%
Acceptance rate: 59%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$17k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion Design

The Leicester faculty provides a platform for emerging talent outside of the UK capital, honing in craft through responsible design practices.

De Montfort University (DMU) offers a diverse portfolio of fashion and textile programs and aims to produce responsible designers prepared for the fashion industry. All practice programmes have a focus on manufacture, and all students are involved in product creation. DMU’s BA (Hons) Fashion Design provides the opportunity for specialist study in womenswear, menswear or fashion knitwear, and the university offers highly specialised practice based courses, including footwear design and contour fashion. The teaching is studio based and makes use of comprehensive technical facilities. Students are housed in a new, award winning building, and report high levels of satisfaction with the available resources and facilities. However, the number of students that partake in internships makes up just 5 percent.

Design School Kolding

Kolding, Denmark

Best in: Best in global influence.

Average cohort size: 24
International students: 25%
Acceptance rate: 16%
Tuition domestic/intl: $0k/$13k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion & Textile Design

The Danish faculty is a pillar of the design world, placing sustainability and cooperation in practice on a pedestal.

Denmark’s Design School Kolding offers a combination of research, artistic and practice based courses with a strong focus on sustainability, social design and play. The school’s curriculum mirrors recent developments in fashion and textile design by integrating initiatives such as bio-materials, smart textiles, robotics and 3D modelling technologies. The school’s Design for Change course is centred on designing for low impact and UN sustainability goals, and teaches methods for enacting change within the industry and production processes at scale. External funding at Design School Kolding has increased significantly in the last ten years, and the school boasts an extensive list of industry partners including Swarovski, LEGO, Le Klint, Ecco and Fritz Hansen.

Donghua University

Shanghai, China

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 200
International students: 2%
Acceptance rate: –
Tuition domestic/intl: $1k/$4k
Degrees offered: BA Clothing & Apparel Design

The university has gained a global resonance as one of the first bridges of local designers and the international fashion market.

Donghua University is one of the first higher education institutions in China to establish a fashion design programme. It focuses on three key disciplines: functional clothing and human body engineering, clothing culture and art design and digital textile and clothing technology. Donghua aims to cultivate design talents with excellent creative design thinking, solid engineering practice skills and a forward-looking international fashion vision. Instructors aim to expand the horizons of students with access to international lectures, courses and other international exchange platforms. The programme engages with various aspects of the fashion industry through professional networking opportunities and collaborative projects between schools and industry. Despite these efforts less than 70 percent of surveyed students and alumni indicated satisfaction with the school’s career services and industry networking events.

Philadelphia, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 28
International students: 11%
Acceptance rate: 64%
Tuition domestic/intl: $51k/$51k
Degrees offered: BS Fashion Design

A part of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, the university analyses design from technology, business and merchandising touchpoints.

Drexel is a 128-year-old private research university based in Philadelphia, and its Fashion Design program is just one of 80 undergraduate majors, allowing students to pursue a broad, interdisciplinary education. Fashion students earn a Bachelor of Science degree instead of the BA awarded at most competing programmes. Students can also minor in a wide range of related specialisations including art history, business and entrepreneurship. The university’s 64 percent acceptance rate marks it as one of the least exclusive programs among BoF’s ranking. Drexel’s small class sizes allow focus on design research, originality and craft as well as relevance and responsibility. The university is home to the Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab, founded in 2012, which contains 16 workstations and three state-of-the-art knitting machines, donated by machine manufacturer Shima Seiki. Drexel also hosts the Richard & Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, which includes over 12,000 items and accessories dating from the Renaissance to today, including extensive holdings from the greatest designers of the last hundred years.

École Duperré Paris

Paris, France

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 84
International students: 6%
Acceptance rate: 2%
Tuition domestic/intl: $0k/$0k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

The prestigious school teaches fashion craft based on traditional French heritage, revitalised by new technologies intermingled with philosophy, literature and economics.

Founded in 1864, École Duperré Paris is a state-funded public college of art and design belonging to the City of Paris and French Ministry of Education. The school encourages students to question limits and boundaries, shapes, materials and expectations. Close partnerships with LVMH group give École Duperré students the opportunity to intern and collaborate with the company. The BA Fashion Design programme is studio and project-based, but also enriched with classes on design history, philosophy, literature and economics. Students may focus on a variety of orientations including clothes and accessories making, style and media, or luxury products. An acceptance rate of under two percent — following a selective recruitment process based on school records and interviews — makes École Duperré one of the most exclusive programs on BoF’s Best Fashion Schools list. Students and alumni report high levels of satisfaction with available resources, and that their overall educational objectives were met.

Paris, France

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 209
International students: 52%
Acceptance rate: 42%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$12k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Designer

Technical ability meets creative innovation at the French fashion school situated within a mosaic of industry networks.

With more than 175 years in operation, ESMOD International’s teaching is widely respected, and the school boasts a professional network spanning 9,000 companies worldwide. The school highlights innovation and sustainability through partnerships with companies such as Sculpteo (3D printing) and Lectra (digital pattern making). ESMOD places a strong emphasis on internships, requiring one per year, and provides opportunity for study abroad through exchange programs at schools in 13 countries. ESMOD International’s BA Fashion Design programme emphasizes creativity and technical skills through design and pattern making. In their final year, students can choose from a range of specialisations including ready-to-wear, knitwear, couture, lingerie, accessories and costume. At the end of their courses, students make and present a real collection to professional juries. Students and alumni report high levels of satisfaction that ESMOD met their overall educational objectives.

New York, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 273
International students: 23%
Acceptance rate: 40%
Tuition domestic/intl: $8k/$22k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion Design

The fashion college housed in Manhattan ties together design, communication and technology to develop emerging international talent.

New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college, part of the State University of New York, which is widely recognised for its instruction of design, fashion, art, communications and business. The school’s academic programming is rigorous and adaptable with an emphasis on experiential learning opportunities, academic and industry partnerships and commitment to entrepreneurship. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Lululemon Athletica are sponsors of two of the many student competitions at FIT. Study abroad opportunities for students include the International Fashion Design degree, which allows first-years to begin their studies in Italy. Students in Manhattan have access to The Museum at FIT which houses a permanent collection of over 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present. BFA Fashion Design students can specialise in areas such as sportswear, knitwear, intimate apparel and occasion wear. FIT’s average full-time student cohort size is 273, making it one of the largest programmes on BoF’s list.

Geneva, Switzerland

Best in: Best in global influence.

Average cohort size: 65
International students: 34%
Acceptance rate: 27%
Tuition domestic/intl: $1k/$1k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

The product of two of Geneva’s oldest applied arts schools, the faculty teaches innovative design practices from the heart of Geneva.

The Geneva School of Art and Design (or Haute École d’Art et Design, also known as HEAD-Genève) offers courses in art and design on a campus with resources including large workshop rooms and textile machinery. The school has a strong focus on professional networking and immersion, and requires second year students to complete a four-month internship in Europe or abroad. HEAD also organises an annual fashion show that hosts over 2000 guests, including fashion industry professionals, head hunters and journalists. Students have access to weekly one-to-one tutorials with international fashion designers who can provide coaching for work opportunities. HEAD also has a special focus on knitwear, offering students a knitwear workshop, with high tech equipment and specialised tutorials. Students and alumni have reported high levels of satisfaction with the available resources.

Paris, France

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 80
International students: 34%
Acceptance rate: 30%
Tuition domestic/intl: $15k/$21k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

A recognised hallmark of the global fashion destination Paris, the institute places practical teaching at the forefront, boasting a dense network of luxury industry connections.

École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (ECSCP), can trace its origins back to 1927, when it was established by The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. In 2019, it merged with the Institut Français de la Mode, and in September 2019, the united institutions will launch a new BA in Fashion Design taught in French and English. ECSCP places a strong emphasis on technical craftsmanship, with a specific focus on model making. It is also known for teaching within the context of Parisian culture, providing access to contemporary art, dance, music and performance through partnerships with Parisian cultural institutions. Students and alumni express high levels of satisfaction with the breadth of curriculum and overall quality of teaching. They also cite consistently high performance in the long-term value of the school’s alumni network.

Milano, Italy

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 288
International students: 37%
Acceptance rate: 28%
Tuition domestic/intl: $16k/$17k
Degrees offered: BA Dashion Design (Milan/Rome), Título superior de Diseño de Moda (Madrid/Barcelona), BA (Hons) Fashion Design (Barcelona)

From Italy to Spain and Brazil, the faculty brings together design, fashion and visual communication disciplines by developing technical and research skills.

Founded as a private school in Milan, Italy, in 1966, today Istituto Europeo di Design (or IED) operates campuses in 11 cities in Europe and South America. The school’s BA Fashion Design course is taught in nine of these locations. To date, IED has trained students from approximately 100 countries and welcomes around 2,000 international students every year. Throughout the three-year design course, students are encouraged to utilise local production and operation systems. IED holds open seminars with leading designers through collaborations with fashion companies, and the school maintains industry partnership programmes with more than 200 businesses including LVMH, Kering and Valentino. Despite having an average full-time student cohort size of 288 — one of the largest among BoF’s Best Fashion Schools in the World — students and alumni rank IED highly satisfactory for meeting their overall educational objectives.

Milano, Italy

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence.

Average cohort size: 343
International students: 69%
Acceptance rate: 47%
Tuition domestic/intl: $21k/$26k
Degrees offered: Fashion Design, Fashion Design & Womenswear, Fashion Design & Menswear, Fashion Design & Accessories, Fashion Design & Marketing

For over 80 years, the faculty has built its legacy in comprehensive fashion education across the globe.

Istituto Marangoni operates across nine global fashion schools, with two locations in Milan and others in Florence, London, Paris, Miami, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Mumbai. Despite its international scope, Marangoni’s Fashion Design BA emphasises its founding Made in Italy heritage, with a focus on luxury fashion and Italian craftsmanship. Istituto Marangoni encourages its students to utilise an cross-school programme, which allows them to complete a course of studies at different locations. Istituto Marangoni has a community of over 4,000 students, originating from more than 100 countries. As a result, the average full-time student cohort size is 343, is the largest of BoF’s Top Fashion Schools in the World.

Kent State University

Kent, Ohio, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 95
International students: 10%
Acceptance rate: 34%
Tuition domestic/intl: $11k/$19k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design, BFA Fashion Design

Creative development is replete with traditional liberal arts, sciences and international exchange at the Ohio faculty.

Based in the US state of Ohio, Kent State University’s undergraduate Fashion Design programme draws on its position in a large, liberal arts and sciences comprehensive university, through which it places an emphasis on the diversity of studio practice in the degree programme. The fashion department’s unique TechStyleLAB is equipped with digital design and production technologies and the university’s museum houses one of the largest fashion- and design-focused collections in the US. Kent State’s design students participate in a study abroad semester, which can take place in New York or Florence. Kent also has partnership programmes with Paris, London and Hong Kong-based universities. Fashion design students may also choose to complete their degree as a Bachelor of Fine Arts rather than a BA, depending on their career goals, academic standing and performance in studio coursework.

Kingston University

London, United Kingdom

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 100
International students: 25%
Acceptance rate: 18%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$19k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion

The South West London public research university rests on a bedrock of European institution connections as well as cultural and historical research.

Founded in 1899, Kingston University is a public research university based on the outskirts of London. Current and former fashion design students give high marks to the school’s overall learning experience, citing the breadth of curriculum, extensive educator feedback and frequent collaboration with industry. Fashion students in the Design School at Kingston School of Art have the opportunity to gain scholarships from Tommy Hilfiger and Zara and paid internships with Ralph Lauren and other companies. Graduates have secured employment at brands such as Victoria Beckham and Hugo Boss. Students pursuing a Fashion Design BA at Kingston also have access to the university’s working dress archive, the Benenden Fashion Archive, which features pieces dating from 1750 to present day.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Wilson School of Design

Vancouver, Canada

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 22
International students: 7%
Acceptance rate: 35%
Tuition domestic/intl: $4k/$16k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design & Technology

The polytechnic university is grounded in the practical approach of college education blended with the depth of a university programme.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University was established in 1981 in Western Canada, and today has almost 20,000 students across its 4 campuses. In January 2018, KPU opened its new Wilson School of Design building, where the fashion design and technology students (as well as students from six other design programmes) work in its studios, labs and a testing centre. A 65,000 square foot campus, the design building holds advanced technology including laser cutters, 3D printers and ultrasonic welders. KPU emphasises technical training aligned with the local Vancouver technical apparel market’s needs. Its Workplace Practicum Programme sees students collaborate with local companies such as Lululemon, Arc’teryx and Mountain Equipment Co-Op. Students and alumni report high satisfaction with the school’s internship support services. The school also sends students to study at fashion schools in an expanse of European countries, as well as Australia, Mexico and Taiwan.

London, United Kingdom

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 160
International students: 55%
Acceptance rate: 26%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$25k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Development, BA (Hons) Fashion Technology: Womenswear or Menswear

A key player in the London fashion ecosystem, the faculty offers fashion programmes in the realm of fashion technology, business and media.

A part of the University of Arts London, London College of Fashion (LCF) offers BA degrees in Fashion Design and Development, Fashion Design Technology: Menswear, Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear, as well as courses such as Fashion Sportswear, Bespoke Tailoring and Fashion Pattern Cutting. Through its approach to teaching more specific disciplines, the individual courses offer a deep-dive into precise disciplinary skills over their three or four-year duration. The programme places a heavy emphasis on experimenting with new technologies. LCF’s design courses are currently held at the School of Design and Technology, based in London’s Shoreditch district. In 2022, the school will open a new state-of-the-art, 36,000 square metre facility in East London, situated in the former Olympic Park.

PLEASE NOTE THIS ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT THIS SCHOOL’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

Poughkeepsie, United States

Best in: Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 23
International students: 4%
Acceptance rate: 57%
Tuition domestic/intl: $39k/$39k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion Design

The New York college equips students with liberal arts knowledge and develops global citizens to become fashion leaders.

Located on the banks of the Hudson River just under 100 kilometres (around 62 miles) from New York City, Marist College offers a classic liberal arts education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design. In Spring 2019, the university opened a new state-of-the-art centre for fashion and art, Steel Plant, which houses digital labs, fashion studios, a makerspace, a fashion exhibition gallery, an art gallery, a retail laboratory and boutique, as well as a garden. Marist’s fashion design programme balances creativity with a technical education, and offers elective courses in practices like couture techniques, knitwear design and 3D printing. Former and current students report high overall satisfaction with the school’s quality of teaching.

Miami International University of Art & Design

Miami, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 100
International students: 45%
Acceptance rate: 60%
Tuition domestic/intl: $22k/$22k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion Design

The faculty has cemented its mark in the Miami Fashion District with its hands-on approach to fashion education.

The Miami International University of Art & Design (MIU) sits at the heart of Florida’s fashion industry and offers a four-year BA fashion design programme. Its local connections allow students to participate in unique local fashion events including Swim Week, International Men’s week, and the Miami Design District. The university also operates branches across Florida and in Texas. MIU teaches a hands-on approach to fashion, beginning with in-studio technical foundations followed by computerised courses supplemented by internships. Approximately 80 percent of fashion design graduates are employed in a related field. Miami International University of Art & Design has an acceptance rate of 60 percent, making it one of the least exclusive programmes ranked on The Business of Fashion’s Top Global Fashion Schools.

National Institute of Fashion Technology

Delhi, India

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 35
International students: 57%
Acceptance rate: 1%
Tuition domestic/intl: $3k/$11k
Degrees offered: BA Design (Fashion)

The New Delhi Institute plays a fundamental role in developing talent to enhance the Indian fashion market and bolster presence in the international pool.

As a key element of the development of India’s fashion industry, New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) focuses on the needs of the growing couture export market, and approaches the global fashion industry from a traditional Indian lens. NIFT was established in 1986 by the Ministry of Textiles, played a crucial role in the establishment of the Indian Fashion Design Council, and now spans 16 campuses across India. The four-year programme incorporates rural craftwork integral to India’s rich textile heritage in partnership with NGOs, and students work alongside indigenous rural artisans both in the classroom and throughout independent projects. Students partake in internships throughout the year and alumni go on to secure employment at businesses including TCNS Clothing Company, Reliance, ABFRL and Raymond. The program’s graduate employment rate of 93 percent aligns well with India’s rapid economic expansion and growing fashion market. NIFT boasts a remarkably low acceptance rate of just 1 percent, though that figure should be scaled against India’s large population. Students and alumni report high satisfaction that their overall educational objectives were met.

Parsons School of Design

New York, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 273
International students: 55%
Acceptance rate: 25%
Tuition domestic/intl: $50k/$50k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion Design

The well-known fixture in the US fashion industry has provided fashion education aligned to current economic, social and environmental standards for the past 100 years.

With campuses situated in the fashion capitals of New York City and Paris, the Parsons School of Design has strong connections to the global fashion industry. It has produced notable alumni such as Jeff Blanks, Marc Jacobs and Caroline Hu, who won the 2019 BoF China Prize; corporate partners include the Council of Fashion Designers of America, media publications like Vogue US and Harper’s Bazaar, and companies including LVMH, PVH, and Kering. Students choose from 4 curricular pathways in their junior year, focusing on either “Collection”, “Materiality”, “Fashion Product” or “Systems & Societies.” In 2016, the faculty established its 30,000 square foot Making Center in Manhattan, where students use Shima Seiki knitting machines, Apex 3D printers. Industry experience is gained at the annual New York Fashion Week. At least 50 percent of students work internships at companies including Tory Burch, Coach, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys. Though the school performed well overall in terms of the long-term value it provides graduates, students expressed relatively low levels of satisfaction (42 percent) with the available career services.

Florence, Italy

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 118
International students: 89%
Acceptance rate: 46%
Tuition domestic/intl: $20k/$20k
Degrees offered: Fashion Design, Fashion Technology

The Italian faculty is a seedbed for European fashion industry key players with a global resonance.

Florence’s Polimoda hosts its students in a hotspot of the global fashion industry. Over 2,300 students from 70 countries are based in three Florence locations, and students are granted free access to local museums, art centres and Polimoda’s own library, which houses 24,000 titles on Italian fashion. Students receive CFDA mentorship in their fourth year, as the council partakes in reviewing the graduate collections and offers programmes that offer support, funding and industry exposure for upcoming talent. Polimoda’s alumni network spans hundreds of companies, and recruiters include brands such as Gucci, Vivienne Westwood and Salvatore Ferragamo. Polimoda holds a 91 percent industry placement rate, with notable alumni including Edgardo Osorio and Luke & Lucie Meier.

RMIT University

Melbourne, Australia

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 100
International students: 20%
Acceptance rate: 28%
Tuition domestic/intl: $21k/$23k
Degrees offered: Bachelor of Fashion (Design)(Hons)

The large Australian faculty boasts an equally large repertoire of design education avenues across all related disciplines.

A large university with an equally large reach, Australia’s RMIT collaborates with international faculties using digital communication technology including globally connected virtual studios and social media. With campuses in Melbourne and Vietnam and a centre in Barcelona, the faculty also partners with the US, Paris, the Netherlands, Japan and China for study tours, exchanges and projects. Students spend their time working on local and international design challenges, such as new product uses for deadstock garments presented in virtual studios, and on research based projects including material use, technology and human ecology. RMIT emphasizes the role of sustainability in fashion and partners with social enterprises and NGOs to provide design support, as well as reinforcing traditional indigenous textile printing skills through workshops and other community based projects. Students also partake in fashion events like Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, and gain work experience at Dior, LVMH, Zara and The Country Road Group, among others.

Ryerson University School of Fashion

Toronto, Canada

Best in: Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 83
International students: 13%
Acceptance rate: 14%
Tuition domestic/intl: $6k/$19k
Degrees offered: BA Design, Fashion

The downtown Toronto faculty, known for its multiculturalism, integrates this quality into its experiential fashion education approach.

Ryerson University School of Fashion was originally founded in 1948, making it Canada’s longest running university fashion programme. Ryerson’s programme focuses on inclusive, decolonised, and sustainable perspectives, and its cohort includes international students from over 146 countries — an approach aligned with Toronto’s reputation as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Students work with computer aided design, 3D digital fabric printers and laser cutting in labs alongside traditional in-studio sessions and lectures. They attend lectures, studio workshops and receive individual mentorship by in-house indigenous luxury designer Angela Demontigny; have access to resources like the Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute, the Fashion Zone incubator and the Fashion Research Collection; and intern at companies including Fendi, Harry Rosen and Hudson’s Bay. Students and alumni report a 91 percent satisfaction rate with the breadth of the curriculum and their educators. Ryerson’s acceptance rate is at the more exclusive end of BoF’s list, at 14 percent.

Savannah, Georgia, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 213
International students: 28%
Acceptance rate: 53%
Tuition domestic/intl: $37k/$37k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion

World class craftsmanship is crossed with cutting-edge technology, with campuses located on three different continents.

Founded in 1978, Savannah College of Art and Design’s undergraduate fashion design programme boasts a 99 percent graduate employment rate within 10 months post-graduation. The faculty combines fashion with computer-aided design, at four locations in Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong and Lacoste. It maintains industry connections, staging city-wide events such as the SCAD FASHWKND, SCAD deFINE ART, and SCADstyle, with attendees including Vivienne Westwood and W Magazine Fashion Director Rickie De Sole. Students secure internships at LVMH, Burberry and Teen Vogue, among others.

Ramat Gan, Israel

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 63
International students: 16%
Acceptance rate: 25%
Tuition domestic/intl: $1k/$1k
Degrees offered: Bachelor Fashion Design

The University’s fashion education sets a precedent for Israeli fashion design that has won it recognition worldwide.

As the only school in the Middle East to make BoF’s list, Shenkar College serves as a regional connector of fashion talent, amassing a high percentage of international students. Shenkar’s four-year BA Fashion Design programme focuses on instructor-led lectures and workshops, with students working independently in studios after hours. Students participate in design competitions with companies including H&M, LVMH and Levi’s, and collaborate with worldwide institutions from Central Saint Martins to Parsons New School of Design. Shenkar’s focus on technical skills and technologies like 3D printing and digital weaving integrates with Israel’s hot start-up scene and anchors a network of B2B technology businesses, including sustainability-focused textile companies. Graduates have gone on to jobs at Inditex, Dior Homme and LVMH Fashion Group.

Stephens College

Columbia, Missouri, United States

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 8
International students: 0%
Acceptance rate: 53%
Tuition domestic/intl: $23k/$23k
Degrees offered: BFA Fashion Design & Product Development

Advocacy for gender equality defines the institution’s vision for fashion education.

Founded in 1833 in Columbia, Missouri, Stephens College is the second-oldest women’s college in the United States. Stephens offers a “women-centric focus” on fashion education, while noting that it also admits students that identify as non-binary or transgender. Stephens also prides itself on accepting students that don’t have traditional backgrounds in design: unlike other fashion schools, it doesn’t require a portfolio and admits students with low-level skills in drawing or sewing. The design program at Stephens emphasizes bespoke and couture quality sewing, along with hand and computer based drawing and illustration, 2 and 3D design development and computer-aided textile design. While based in Missouri, the programme makes an effort to connect students with global fashion markets, exploring partnerships with designers and hiring faculty that work outside of the US. Students and alumni report high levels of satisfaction that their overall educational objectives were met.

Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås

Borås, Sweden

Best in: Best overall, Best in global influence, Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 15
International students: 0%
Acceptance rate: 8%
Tuition domestic/intl: $0k/$23k
Degrees offered: BA Fashion Design

Located in the Swedish textile fashion centre, the faculty combines art and science in its approach to fashion.

Founded in 1866, the Swedish School of Textiles is located in the city of Borås’s textile fashion center. The BA Fashion Design Programme specializes in instruction of different textile manufacturing methods, from weaving to printed technology, and includes a sustainable textile program that works in tandem with industry partners to reduce resource consumption. Students from the programme participate in international competitions including Design Nest and the H&M Design Award. With an acceptance rate of 8 percent, University of Borås’s Swedish School of Textiles is one of the more selective programmes on the list. While the programme’s graduate employment rate is high at 90 percent, half of all surveyed students and alumni report low satisfaction with career services, one of the lowest results on the list.

Philadelphia, United States

Best in: Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 42
International students: 10%
Acceptance rate: 58%
Tuition domestic/intl: $39k/$40k
Degrees offered: BS Fashion Design

Thomas Jefferson University develops market-driven fashion entrepreneurs equipped with skills to solve problems in the competitive fashion environment.

Founded in 1824 as the Philadelphia Textile School, today Thomas Jefferson University’s fashion design programme encourages interdisciplinary projects in textile design, including applications in merchandising, industrial design and architecture. The programme stresses industry experience, and encourages students to experiment with their designs around market driven parameters like sourcing, material cost and delivery rates. Throughout the academic year, students work with industry partners like Target, Abercrombie & Fitch, Free People and Urban Outfitters on design briefs and brand and marketing strategies to network and gain experience in the field. Jefferson’s BS Fashion Design programme also stresses computer-aided design, and requires each student to create a digital portfolio by their sophomore year in order to increase internship placement. The programme has a 96 percent job placement rate, and students have gone on to work at brands like Oscar De La Renta, Under Armour, Li & Fung and Nike.

Epsom, United Kingdom

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 65
International students: 62%
Acceptance rate: 73%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$20k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion

Creative art, business and technology are uniquely intermingled at Rochester and Epsom faculties that cover all aspects of fashion.

The University for Creative Arts (UCA) operates four art and design schools in England, and its School of Fashion and Textiles is one of the largest in the UK. The university’s three-year BA Fashion Design programme offers two different paths for seniors — a fashion design route or a fashion design with branding route. Fashion Design programme graduates have gone on to work at brands such as Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Temperley London. 98 percent of surveyed students and alumni noted high levels of satisfaction with the overall quality of teaching, placing UCA in the top 5 percent of this category among BoF’s Best Fashion Schools in the World. However, only 37 percent report that they are satisfied with the programme’s networking events, and just 21 percent are satisfied with the quality of recruiting companies.

The Ullman School of Design, University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, United States

Best in: Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 63
International students: 5%
Acceptance rate: 56%
Tuition domestic/intl: $11k/$26k
Degrees offered: BS Design

The Ohio-based faculty posits fashion at the interface of sustainability, research, technology and experimentation.

University of Cincinnati’s Fashion Design school offers a five-year BS programme, equivalent to a BFA, instead of the typical three to four. Upon graduating, students are able to enter the industry with significant work experience thanks to its co-op programme. With regard to academics, the school’s curriculum focuses on ethical designs and fashion history, examining early designers and their methodology and materials in order to design for the future. The University’s co-op programme — a requirement for all design students — places students in professional practice for a total of five semesters in a mixture small and large companies across the United States and internationally. The programme also exposes students to a wide creative range fashion markets, with the senior fashion show including children’s clothing and concept garments.

University of Salford

Salford, United Kingdom

Best in: Best overall, Best in learning experience, Best in long term value.

Average cohort size: 48
International students: 21%
Acceptance rate: 43%
Tuition domestic/intl: $12k/$14k
Degrees offered: BA (Hons) Fashion Design

Cultured, future-focused thinking takes centre stage at the widening participation University’s fashion education.

Established in 1896, the University of Salford’s BA Fashion Design programme is largely studio based, emphasizing hands-on teaching sessions in a collaborative atmosphere. Students work in a newly finished studio equipped with a full range of industrial machinery including laser cutters, 3D printers and metal work machines. The programme is committed to breaking down traditional barriers to higher education, offering mentorship programs and an ‘open door’ policy within the programme, where students of all levels can interact and receive help from faculty in an open plan studio space. The programme stresses real world experience, including a period of work placement for up to six months with brands including Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen. Seniors develop a professional portfolio of work based on their final collections, and have the opportunity to travel to China to source their fabric and work directly with industry suppliers to develop prints.

University of Technology Sydney

Sydney, Australia

Best in: Best in learning experience.

Average cohort size: 71
International students: 34%
Acceptance rate: 26%
Tuition domestic/intl: $7k/$24k
Degrees offered: BDes Fashion & Textiles, BDes (Hons) Fashion & Textiles, BDes Fashion & Textiles and International Studies, BDes Fashion & Textiles and BA Creative Intelligence and Innovation

The university has cemented its top position in the Asia Pacific area, with an ethos anchored in experimentation.

University of Technology Sydney’s undergraduate fashion design programme emphasises experimentation, the exploration of material and critical theory. The programme has a particular focus on the development of textiles. Available resources include textile studios, a fabrication workshop and sewing workrooms that support 3D printing, laser cutting and digital CNC technologies. UTS students are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary projects utilising all the university’s resources, allowing them to explore product design, visual communications, photography and architecture. The fashion design programme offers international work opportunities through their Global Studios series, which arranges international internships at textile businesses and luxury fashion manufacturers. Alumni and students report high levels of satisfaction with the programme, noting plentiful available resources, excellent quality of teaching and a high calibre student body. Alumni have gone on to win numerous awards and work at brands like Burberry, JW Anderson, Alexander Wang, Kenzo and Adidas.