Parsons: The New School for Design is widely regarded as one of the top schools in the country. It has been around since 1906 and boasts alumni including Donna Karan, Tom Ford and Narciso Rodriguez. A private arts school, Parsons likes to say it produces designers who are "21st-century fashion leaders." Project Runway's Tim Gunn, who has served on the faculty there, has brought the school more attention in recent years, and it regularly appears on the annual Best Colleges list of "U.S. News & World Report."
Parsons: The New School for Design
72 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
(212) 229-8989
parsons.edu/
The Fashion Institute of Technology, part of the State University of New York, has a respected reputation for excellence, notes the 2010 Best Colleges guide from "U.S. News & World Report." FIT offers a liberal arts foundation with its fashion program and, best of it, its tuition is much less than any other school on this list.
Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Ave. at 27th St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 217-7999
fitnyc.edu/
The Rhode Island School of Design, founded in 1877, prides itself on offering a "vibrant community" for artists. The revered RISD invites more than 200 guest experts in the field to the campus each year and regularly appears on the Best Colleges list of the "U.S. News & World Report."
Rhode Island School of Design
2 College St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 454-6100
risd.edu/
Drexel University's Westphal College of Art and Media Design was just re-accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, which gives its stamp of approval to only the top schools in the county. Westphal is known for small studio classes that simulate the professional fashion world.
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
33rd and Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 895-1834
drexel.edu/westphal/
In Los Angeles, FIDM is the West Coast home of Project Runway and has counted Lauren Conrad of MTV reality show The Hills among its students. There are four campuses—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County and San Diego. FIDM is the place to go if you're interested in getting into the entertainment industry, with careers in wardrobe and costume designing.
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
919 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 624-1201
fidm.edu/
SAIC is one of the country's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, with an enrollment of just under 3,000 students. It is recognized by "U.S. News & World Report" as one of the top graduate art programs in the nation, and in 2003 was ranked by art critics in Columbia University’s National Arts Journalism survey as the "most influential art school" in the United States. Among its famous fashion grads: Halston and Cynthia Rowley.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 629-6100
saic.edu/
The Savannah College of Art Design (SCAD), established in 1978, is widely respected in the business for its design program ("Business Week" named it one of the top 60 design schools in the world in 2007) and for its fashion programs. It is one of only a dozen schools to partner with the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America to provide a scholarship program; recent visitors to the school include Mark Badgley, James Mischka, Tracy Reese and Trina Turk. It's also one of the few schools to offer an MFA program in fashion.
Savannah College of Art and Design
42 Bull St.
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 525-5000
scad.edu/
Offering an all-woman student body, an average student population of 500 and a student-faculty ratio of 8:1, as noted by the Best Colleges list of "U.S. News & World Report," Moore is committed to maintaining a small school environment. Classes regularly visit designers’ studios and showrooms and retailers and suppliers in both Philadelphia and New York to learn first-hand from experts about competition, fabric buying, display and production.
Moore College of Art & Design
20th St. and the Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 965-4000
moore.edu/
Six schools make up the University of the Arts in London, and two are well known for their fashion programs. Central St. Martins, with alums Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, is "one of London's most revered art institutions," according to the Independent Education Supplement. But the University's London College of Fashion is also well known for specializing in fashion education, research and consultancy. Among its famous graduates: Jimmy Choo. It is internationally affiliated with Parsons and FIT.
University of the Arts of London
65 Davies St.
London W1K 5DA
United Kingdom
011 (+44) 0207 514 6000
www.arts.ac.uk/
There's no place quite like Paris when it comes to fashion. Offering a four-year program culminating in the equivalent of a bachelor's degree, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale, which was founded in 1927, enables students to learn the importance of technical training while also fostering creativity at the school. The Chambre Syndicale, the regulating commission over haute couture houses in Paris, runs the elite school, which boasts Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake among its graduates.
Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale
45 Rue Saint-Roche
75001 Paris, France
011 (+33) 01 42 61 00 77
www.modeaparis.com/va/ecoles/