Top Fashion Schools we recommend

One of the common questions we get from members of our community is recommendations on international fashions schools for study – so we have put together this list of top-notch fashion schools around the world that offer online and/or on-campus degrees in fashion – as well as short courses to consider in your professional and business journey.

Ravensbourne University, London

Image credit: Ravensbourne University London

Ravensbourne University London, UK offers budding fashion enthusiasts the opportunity to study both traditional and innovative practices in fashion. They offer a wide range of courses in Fashion including fashion design, fashion development, digital technology, fashion marketing, fashion promotion, and brand management, amongst others. As a student of Ravensbourne, you’ll develop an enviable skill set across the fashion industry as their degree programs are geared towards developing those who see a career in fashion with industry-ready skills through research and concept development methodologies. They have available scholarships and bursaries for prospective students.

Tuition fees range from £9,000 – £16,500.

University of Arts London (UAL)

University of Arts London offers an extensive range of almost 400 courses in art, fashion, design, communication and performing arts including short courses in fashion styling, graphics design, footwear design, fashion drawing, and special effects makeup. They were ranked second in the world of Arts and Design by the QS World University Rankings in 2021. They have a dedicated focus on careers and employability of its students which is seen through the high-quality external engagement experiences imbibed in their taught courses. They have state of the art facilities, including workshops with letterpress machinery, studio theatres and gallery spaces. They offer a wide range of online master’s programs including an MA in Strategic Fashion Marketing, and Fashion Artefacts amongst others. We had proudly collaborated with UAL to offer aspiring young African creatives scholarships to some of their taught short courses. This goes to show how extensive their scholarship and bursary are for prospective students. 

Tuition fees range from £9,000 – £23,000.

Parsons School of Design, New York

Image credit: from Parsons School by Chayrin D. Perez Abreu

Parsons School of Design takes full advantage of its location, New York, as it is vibrant and diverse. Considered the Global Centre of Fashion, Parsons has been ranked number 3 in QS World University Ranking, 2021 in Art and Design. Since its founding in 1919 as one part of the comprehensive university – The New School -, it has redrawn and redefined the boundaries of intellectual and creative thought as a preeminent innovative academic centre offering both single and dual degrees in art, design and liberal arts including online certification courses. 

Tuition fees range from $18000 – $27,000.

Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design (CNC)

Image credit: Condé Nast College

Condé Nast College believes that its strength lies in its strong connection to the fashion industry and its excellent academics and support staff who deliver a unique educational experience. Conde Nast has courses that are fused with intensive academic learning and access to the best and brightest minds in the fashion and design industry. As an institution with a great interest in biodiversity, it keeps enriching the educational experiences of its students through cross-cultural projects. Some of such projects include Project UNLEASH – A Fashion business exchange program –  and Creative Co-labs all delivered in partnership with The Assembly. Their courses range from styling, journalism, fashion buying, marketing, branding, and graphic design, PR, digital strategy, business etc. They also have scholarships for undergraduate and Master’s levels as well as online courses in Fashion, Media, Sustainability, and Diversity in Fashion among others. 

Academy of Art University

Image credit: Academy of Art University, captured Aishwarya Gajare

Since its inception in 1929 Academy of Arts University has grown to become a standard institution for world-class education in Art and Design. Founded in the heart of San Francisco, AAU boasts of a creative environment, comprehensive curriculum and dedicated faculty that ensures its alumni are empowered for global competitiveness through craft mastery. Asides from its wide range of on-campus programs, they offer over 900+ online degree courses. Its online Fashion Design program has been designed to deliver the same top-notch academic excellence as its on-campus programs. 

 Tuition fees range from $30,000 – $32,000

ELLE Education

ELLE Education is a platform of academic and professional content about lifestyle business management. They offer Master’s and Diploma courses to vibrant candidates with a genuine interest in the fashion world. Its objective is to provide students and professionals with tools that help them address the challenges arising in a constantly changing fashion environment. You will join a learning philosophy that understands a globalized world connected, and guided by inspiration and innovation. At Elle Education, you will find a high-quality academic experience that is also flexible and adaptable to your schedule. 

 Tuition fees range from €2,000 – €10,000

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)

FIT is a state university located in the buzzing New York City. It has a school of Arts and Design dedicated to harnessing the potential of innovative creatives by providing them with a practical, real-world based cutting edge education. Graduates of Fashion Design from FIT either graduate with an AAS (Associate in Applied Sciences) or BFA (Bachelor’s in Fine and Applied Art) depending on their entry pathway. They offer an online degree program in Fashion Business Management. 

Tuition fees range from $3,000 – $11,000

Royal College of Arts, London

Image credit: Royal College of Arts

Royal College of Art located in Kensington, London is one of the world’s most influential postgraduate institutions of art and design. Compared to other fashion schools in London, it has relatively small enrolment numbers across its six schools. The Royal College of Art’s School of Materials offers students opportunities to gain placements and work at some of the biggest fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Givenchy.

Tuition fee £34,000

L’Ecole Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode (ESMOD)

ESMOD is an international group of schools with 5 campuses and 21 schools worldwide offering degrees in Fashion Design and Fashion Business as separate entities.  Its Fashion Design school is famous for being the first and oldest French fashion design school boasting invention of the popular tape measure and mannequin. ESMOD is focused on empowering its graduates with competitively versatile expertise to take on different sectors of the fashion industry from haute couture to ready-to-wear, menswear, womenswear, children’s fashion, unisex, accessories, lingerie, luxury, couture, knitwear or costume design.

The tuition fee is £9,000.

Politecnico di Milano

Image credit: Polimi

Politecnico di Milano, fondly called Polimi, is located in the exotic heart of Milan. It is the largest school of architecture, design and engineering in Milan, Italy. It offers an undergraduate program in fashion design and a master’s program in Design for the Fashion System. 

Tuition fees range from £895 – £3,898. 

Fashion Enter Limited (FEL)

Image credit: Fashion Enter 

FEL, located in London is a leading enterprise in ethical garment production. It boasts of the first Fashion Technology Academy to operate alongside a live fashion studio and garment factory. Their courses offer students hands-on practical experience with the opportunity of apprenticeships. Their boisterous Tailoring Academy covers the area of design, pattern making, cutting, fitting and the final stitching of the tailored items including jackets, trousers, skirts, lined shift dresses and waistcoats. The Tailoring Academy also offers training in bespoke 

Sheffield Hallam University

Image credit: Sheffield Hallam University

Sheffield Hallam University is an institution on a mission to transform lives through sound education. As a student of this institution, you will be challenged with alternative ways of design thinking, making and communication. Their Fashion Design program offers opportunities for work placement and funding.

Tuition fees range from £10,000 – £16,000

Let us know if there are other top fashion schools we’ve missed out on below. 

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