2025 Best Colleges for Fashion Design

Academic Highlights: The New School delivers an exceptionally personalized education through its 45 undergraduate majors across five distinguished colleges, all supported by an outstanding 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio. This intimate learning environment fosters close mentorship and intellectual collaboration, amplified by 34 specialized research centers that connect academia with real-world challenges. The university’s academic excellence is further demonstrated by an impressive 30-year streak of Fulbright Awards, showcasing its commitment to producing globally engaged scholars and creative thinkers.

Professional Outcomes: New School graduates achieve remarkable career momentum, with 81% securing employment or entering graduate programs within their first post-graduation year. While many leverage their education into successful freelance careers, others launch at premier organizations, including the United Nations, NBC Universal, and JP Morgan Chase. The university’s emphasis on critical thinking and innovation yields strong financial returns – alumni earn median salaries of $70,400 early in their careers, nearly doubling to $134,500 at mid-career. These outcomes reflect The New School’s unique ability to prepare graduates for leadership across creative industries, global organizations, and the knowledge economy.

Academic Highlights: FIT stands as New York’s premier public fashion institution, offering 29 specialized undergraduate programs to students from all 50 states and 81 countries. With a focused 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and the unique distinction of 100% classes enrolling fewer than 30 students, FIT ensures personalized training from industry professionals. The college’s global perspective is strengthened through 60+ international programs, preparing students to lead in the worldwide fashion industry.

Professional Outcomes: FIT’s 2023 bachelor’s graduates achieved strong industry placement, with 79% employed within six months—59% with companies and 27% building independent practices. Alumni shape fashion and beauty at top employers, including Ralph Lauren, L’Oréal, and Estée Lauder, while nearly two-thirds work in fields directly related to their FIT degree. With 74% reporting annual earnings of $50,000+, these outcomes demonstrate FIT’s unparalleled ability to launch careers in the competitive fashion marketplace.

Academic Highlights: Pratt Institute delivers an exceptionally personalized arts education through its 26 majors and 48 academic programs, all supported by 1,200 dedicated faculty members. The institute maintains an intimate 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, creating an environment where mentorship and individualized attention thrive. This focused approach allows students to develop their creative practice while engaging deeply with faculty who are working professionals in their fields.

Professional Outcomes: Pratt’s career outcomes speak volumes, with 91% of recent graduates employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Alumni are highly sought after by industry leaders across creative sectors, including Apple, Google, Meta, and cultural institutions like The Met. The institute’s strong industry connections yield excellent financial returns, with graduates earning median salaries of $67,000 early in their careers, nearly doubling to $130,600 by mid-career. These results demonstrate Pratt’s unparalleled ability to launch sustainable, successful careers.

Academic Highlights: RISD offers an exceptionally intimate learning environment with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of just 15 students, ensuring deep mentorship from working artist-educators. The global student body represents 57 countries across 44 degree programs. All first-years engage in the innovative Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) curriculum—a full-day weekly studio experience that builds creative fundamentals through rigorous faculty collaboration. For those seeking an international perspective, the First Year in Florence Program extends this transformative foundational experience to Italy, maintaining RISD’s signature hands-on approach.

Professional Outcomes: RISD’s career outcomes are extraordinary: 95% of the Class of 2023 achieved success, with 74% securing positions directly aligned to their studies. The entrepreneurial spirit thrives—53% of alumni own or plan to start businesses. Graduates shape industries at major employers like Nike, Google, and Netflix, while the school’s creative impact is further evidenced by 114 Fulbright scholars and 11 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. Early career financial success is strong, with 44% earning above $40,000—a notable achievement in creative fields, demonstrating RISD’s ability to launch sustainable artistic careers.

Academic Highlights: Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) stands as America’s most comprehensive arts university, offering over 40 programs across 11 specialized schools—more degree options than any peer institution. While maintaining an accessible 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio, SCAD ensures quality through its accomplished faculty (76% holding terminal degrees) and intimate class sizes (56% under 20 students). This global creative community brings together students from all 50 states and 120+ countries, united under SCAD’s mission as “The University for Creative Careers.”

Professional Outcomes: SCAD’s career outcomes are nothing short of extraordinary: 98% of graduates secure employment or continue education within ten months, with 90% working in their field of study. Alumni lead creative innovation at industry giants like Disney Imagineering, Epic Games, and Microsoft, while entrepreneurial graduates build successful independent practices. The financial returns validate SCAD’s professional outcomes—early median earnings of $61,000 launch careers and grow to $103,400 at mid-career, proving that creative careers can yield both professional fulfillment and financial success.

Academic Highlights: Kent State University offers students one of the most comprehensive academic catalogs in the region with 375+ undergraduate programs across 11 colleges. While maintaining an accessible 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the university delivers surprisingly personalized attention—57% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Global learning thrives through 200+ education-abroad programs in 60 countries, while the nationally recognized Honors College provides elite opportunities for high-achieving students, including consistent success with prestigious Portz Scholar Awards.

Professional Outcomes: Kent State graduates achieve remarkable career success, with 93% employed or in graduate school within one year. The university serves as a vital talent pipeline for Northeast Ohio, with alumni leading at the Cleveland Clinic, Sherwin-Williams, and Huntington National Bank, while also placing graduates at global corporations like Amazon and JPMorgan Chase. Most alumni choose to build their careers in Greater Cleveland, demonstrating Kent State’s powerful role in developing the region’s professional workforce and economy.

Academic Highlights: There are over 100 undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel.  The university offers a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-one percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just 9% of sections contain 50 or more. Drexel students are encouraged to begin seeking undergraduate research opportunities “as early as the freshman year.” An array of research-oriented co-ops exist at local hospitals, museums, and pharmaceutical companies as well. With the emphasis on co-op education, it can be difficult to carve out time to study abroad while at Drexel. In a typical year, roughly 900 students manage to study internationally at one of 60 locations. Co-ops in foreign countries are another way to access the benefits of this type of experience.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97% of Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 94% of full-time graduates were satisfied with their position and 87% were working in professions related to their field of study. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Children’s Hospital of Philadephia, Penn Medicine, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, and Vanguard. The average salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $68,650.

Academic Highlights: The University of Cincinnati—a global leader in experiential education—offers students an unparalleled 285 bachelor’s programs within a vibrant, internationally diverse community representing all 50 states and 121 countries. While maintaining an accessible 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio, UC strikes an ideal balance in class sizes: 34% of courses feature intimate cohorts of 19 or fewer students, while 19% deliver the dynamic energy of larger lectures (50+ students). As the birthplace of cooperative education, UC guarantees 100% student participation in transformative experiences—from traditional co-ops and service spring breaks to innovative virtual internships. This hands-on philosophy builds on UC’s legacy of groundbreaking research that brought the world revolutionary innovations like the oral polio vaccine and the heart-lung machine.

Professional Outcomes: UC’s career outcomes showcase its strength as an economic engine for Ohio and beyond: 81% of 2023 graduates secured employment, notably with regional powerhouses like Cincinnati Children’s, Procter & Gamble, and Kroger, while 13% pursued advanced degrees. The university’s deep industry partnerships yield strong financial returns, with alumni earning an average of $60,397 within three years of graduation. Many Bearcats choose to build their careers in the thriving Cincinnati metro area, contributing to the local economy—a testament to UC’s enduring impact on regional workforce development.

Academic Highlights: Otis College of Art and Design holds distinction as Los Angeles’s first professional arts school, offering eight BFA programs and 13 minors with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The campus features eight specialized labs and shops that fuel hands-on creation, while the innovative Creative Action program connects students with community partners to develop real-world design solutions, blending artistic training with social impact. This project-based learning model prepares students to think across disciplines and apply their skills to contemporary challenges.

Professional Outcomes: Otis graduates achieve exceptional career success, with 96% employed or in graduate school within one year. 88% report working in art/design-related positions. Alumni shape Southern California’s creative economy at industry leaders like Disney, Mattel, and Apple, while many build thriving independent practices. The strong concentration of graduates in Greater Los Angeles demonstrates Otis’s vital role as a talent pipeline for the region’s creative industries.

Academic Highlights: Virginia Commonwealth University combines the resources of a major public research institution (200+ academic programs) with surprising accessibility, maintaining a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows 35% of classes to cap at just 19 students. This balance of scale and personal attention serves a remarkably diverse community representing 46 states and 138 countries, creating dynamic learning environments where global perspectives thrive.

Professional Outcomes: VCU graduates find strong career success, with 41% securing employment and 22% entering graduate programs immediately after commencement. An impressive 87% express satisfaction with their outcomes, and 78% choose to build their careers within Virginia—including 34% in Richmond itself. The university serves as a vital talent pipeline for the state’s leading institutions, with alumni making significant contributions to VCU Health, Capital One, Sentara Health, and Dominion Energy, earning median salaries of $50,000. These outcomes demonstrate VCU’s dual impact as both an economic engine for Virginia and a launchpad for professional achievement.

Academic Highlights: SUNY Oneonta provides students with comprehensive academic choices through 100+ majors, minors, and preprofessional programs within a supportive learning environment. The college’s excellent 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio fosters meaningful mentorship, with an average class size of 21 and only 2% of courses exceeding 50 students. Global engagement thrives through direct partnerships with 12 international universities and access to 1,000+ SUNY study abroad opportunities, preparing graduates for success in an interconnected world.

Professional Outcomes: Oneonta graduates build rewarding careers with top employers, including Northwell Health, Regeneron, and JPMorgan Chase, while commanding strong median earnings of $60,000 after ten years. Most alumni establish roots in the NYC metropolitan area and Albany region, demonstrating the college’s vital role as a talent pipeline for New York’s key industries and communities. These outcomes reflect Oneonta’s successful blend of academic rigor, personalized attention, and professional preparation.

Academic Highlights: Marist offers 47 distinct bachelor’s programs but is ultimately a true liberal arts institution that requires its undergrads to complete a core curriculum. Marist has a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio—few sections are single-digit seminars or large lectures but 53% of sections are under 20 students. On the less-than-ideal side, the majority of Marist’s professors are adjuncts. On the plus side, undergrads enjoy the real-world knowledge brought by those non-tenure-track professors, and few complain about availability outside the classroom. Marist is supportive of undergraduate research, particularly in the hard sciences where completion of a research project is often a graduation requirement. Marist sees 50% of its students study abroad as part of the college’s robust international program that is rated among the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Red Foxes strutting across the graduation stage from 2018-2022 went on to find employment or a graduate school home at a terrific 95% rate by the time they filled out their first-destination survey. Major employers of Marist alums include IBM, which presently employs over 500 individuals, as well as JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, Citi, Deloitte, Google, Goldman Sachs, and NBC Universal Media. Turning to grad school results, recent students attended a wide range of institutions including GA Tech, the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, MIT, and Wake Forest.

Academic Highlights: MassArt provides an immersive arts education beginning with its signature Studio Foundation Year, where all undergraduates develop essential technical skills before specializing in one of 18 rigorous programs. With an exceptional 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students receive unparalleled individual mentorship from practicing artists and designers, creating an environment where creative vision meets professional preparation.

Professional Outcomes: MassArt graduates shape creative industries nationwide, with 84% employed (74% in fields directly related to their studies). Alumni lead at prominent organizations, including TJX Companies, Harvard, MIT, and Boston Public Schools, while 58% build successful freelance practices. Strong alumni networks thrive in Boston’s vibrant arts scene, with significant communities in New York and Los Angeles, demonstrating MassArt’s ability to launch sustainable careers across both institutional and independent creative paths. These outcomes are fueled by hands-on experience, with 77% of students completing impactful internships during their studies.

Academic Highlights: Columbia College Chicago offers students a dynamic, creative education through 60+ undergraduate and graduate programs across eight specialized schools. With a focused 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of 18, 59% of courses maintain an intimate setting of 19 or fewer students. This personalized learning environment brings together aspiring artists and media professionals from all 50 states and 60+ countries, while global perspectives are enriched through study abroad programs in 20+ nations.

Professional Outcomes: Columbia graduates achieve exceptional career success, with 96% employed within one year. Alumni lead at creative powerhouses including NBCUniversal, Live Nation Entertainment, and United Airlines, while many build thriving independent careers. The college’s strong industry connections are reflected in average salaries exceeding $50,000, with three-quarters of graduates shaping creative economies in Chicago, Los Angeles, and the New York metro area, demonstrating Columbia’s nationwide impact as a talent pipeline for the creative professions.

Academic Highlights: The Academy of Art University stands as a premier institution for creative education, offering 129+ specialized degree programs across 22 unique schools, all focused on integrating artistic vision with cutting-edge technology. The university’s hands-on, project-based curriculum emphasizes portfolio development through a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring personalized mentorship from industry professionals. This career-focused approach comes alive through 70+ annual student and alumni exhibitions that showcase emerging talent to the creative industry.

Professional Outcomes: Academy graduates shape visual culture at the highest levels, with alumni leading innovation at Apple, Pixar Animation Studios, and Nike. The university serves as a vital talent pipeline for California’s creative economy, with strong alumni concentrations in the San Francisco Bay Area’s tech/design hub and Los Angeles’ entertainment industry, demonstrating the powerful career launchpad provided by the Academy’s industry-aligned education and professional exhibition opportunities.

Academic Highlights: Thomas Jefferson University provides a career-focused education through its 10 colleges and 3 schools, supported by an excellent 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio that ensures 55% of classes maintain fewer than 20 students. With access to 32 hospital campuses and multiple research centers, students gain unparalleled hands-on experience in various fields. Global perspectives are cultivated through 45+ study abroad programs across 35 countries, preparing graduates to lead in an interconnected professional landscape.

Professional Outcomes: Jefferson’s Class of 2024 achieved impressive early outcomes, with 52% securing employment and 43% continuing to graduate programs immediately after commencement. Alumni launch careers at premier healthcare institutions, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Jefferson Health, while others contribute to leading architecture/engineering firms like HDR and CRB Group. Those pursuing advanced degrees frequently choose top-tier institutions, including Northwestern University and Villanova, with many returning to Jefferson’s own renowned graduate programs, demonstrating the strong foundation provided by the university’s integrated undergraduate experience.

Academic Highlights: Oregon State University spans 11 colleges and graduate schools, including an Honors College, offering students over 300 academic programs to explore. While 28% of classes maintain an intimate setting with fewer than 20 students, another 21% are larger sections with over 50 students, providing diverse learning environments. The university fosters hands-on research through initiatives like URSA Engage, administered by the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts (URSA), which connects first- and second-year students with faculty mentors for early research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 71% of recent OSU alumni were either employed or pursuing graduate studies, with 59% entering the workforce and 10% continuing their education. College of Business graduates frequently land positions at top-tier companies such as Nike, Boeing, and Deloitte, while alumni across all majors secure roles at tech giants like Amazon, Google, and NVIDIA, showcasing the university’s strong industry connections.

Academic Highlights: Class sizes at Baylor generally range from small to medium, with 52% of sections containing fewer than 20 students and 77% enrolling fewer than 29. The Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement (URSA) office does a superb job connecting students with a research opportunity in their field of interest. The school also pushes overseas experiences in the form of an internship, academic semester, or mission trip. Baylor offers signature programs in Scotland, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Professional Outcomes: At the 180-day post-graduation point, those who earned their diplomas from Baylor had entered the world of full-time employment at a 49% clip, and 28% had entered a graduate or professional degree program. Large numbers of recent grads were scooped up by many of the most desirable employers in the country including KPMG (25), Deloitte (24), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (24). The average starting salary was $62k. Among recent grads, the most commonly attended graduate school was Baylor itself (249), followed by Texas A&M (24).

Academic Highlights: California College of the Arts offers an intensely personalized creative education through 22 majors and 5 minors, all supported by an exceptional 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of just 12 students. This intimate learning environment brings together artists and designers from 43 states and 44 countries, fostering dynamic cultural exchange and creative collaboration within CCA’s vibrant studio-based curriculum.

Professional Outcomes: CCA graduates shape innovation at the highest levels, with 87% securing positions at industry leaders, including Apple, Google, and Nike, while many others build successful independent practices. The college’s educational impact is evident in career outcomes—81% of alumni report that their CCA training directly informs their professional work—with most contributing to the San Francisco Bay Area’s thriving creative economy as designers, artists, and innovators.

Academic Highlights: CCAD offers an immersive creative education through nine specialized BFA programs and 18 minors, all supported by an exceptional 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The innovative First-Year Experience equips students with essential physical and digital tools that form the foundation for their artistic development. This hands-on approach ensures every student receives personalized mentorship while building the technical skills needed to thrive in today’s creative industries.

Professional Outcomes: CCAD graduates achieve outstanding career success, with 89% securing employment or pursuing advanced education shortly after graduation. Alumni shape visual culture at leading companies, including The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, and Meow Wolf, while many contribute to Columbus’ thriving arts scene. The strong local alumni network demonstrates CCAD’s vital role in developing talent for both national creative brands and regional cultural organizations.