What’s it like to study in the best fashion design schools in the world? You’ll develop your skills, learn from professors with many years of hands-on experience, and get first-hand industry insights through events. The solid knowledge and design skills, combined with creativity, passion, discipline, and courage, will help you get started in the industry.
There are over 500 Bachelor’s and 200 Master’s degrees in Fashion Design on our portals. A large share of them are located in the world’s fashion capitals (New York, London, Milan, and Paris), but you’ll also find high-quality degrees elsewhere.
In this article, we’ll cover all about the best fashion schools in the world, how to apply for them, and what study tracks you can follow.
Leading regions for fashion education
There are four fashion capitals of the world: New York, US; London, UK; Milan, Italy; and Paris, France. These are home to famous designers and brands, Fashion Week events, and great networking opportunities for students.
Here is more information about the Big Four for fashion students:
City | Top universities | Famous designers | Fashion events |
New York City | Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, and Michael Kors | New York Fashion Week | |
London | Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and Mary Quant | British Fashion Council (BFC) events, London Fashion Week | |
Milan | Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Donatella and Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada | Milan Fashion Week | |
Paris |
| Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, and Hubert de Givenchy | Paris Fashion Week |
Finding other options to study Fashion Design
New York, London, Milan, and Paris are fashion powerhouses with valuable networking opportunities, but they’re not the only places to study Fashion Design.
If you want to study from the comfort of your home, consider checking out online Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fashion Design. These can be great options if you’re already familiar with some fashion techniques but want to formalise your experience. They also allow you to study while building your career and network in your home country.
If you want to get more destination ideas to study Fashion, CEOWORLD Magazine is a good place to start. The publication regularly releases its Best Fashion Schools Rankings, evaluating institutions based on education quality, global influence, job placement rates, university resources, and overall reputation.
Here are some universities around the world that have made it to CEOWORLD Magazine’s rankings. Each has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees covering different aspects of fashion, from management to production.
University name | Location |
Fashion Institute of Technology | New York, USA |
Parsons School of Design | New York, USA |
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design | Philadelphia, USA |
London College of Fashion | London, UK |
ESMOD | Paris, France |
Central Saint Martins | London, UK |
Polimoda | Florence, Italy |
Royal College of Art | London, UK |
Paris College of Art | Paris, France |
Fashion Design Institut | Düsseldorf, Germany |
Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås | Borås, Sweden |
Bunka Fashion College | Tokyo, Japan |
Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, USA |
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | India (various cities) |
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp | Antwerp, Belgium |
School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University | Aalto, Finland |
Stephens College | Columbia, USA |
Design School Kolding | Kolding, Denmark |
Accademia Koefia | Rome, Italy |
University of South Wales | Cardiff, UK |
Geneva School of Art and Design | Geneva, Switzerland |
Different Fashion Design degree tracks
Depending on the university and country, you’ll usually choose between design-focused, business-focused, or technology-focused Fashion tracks. Here is more information:
Fashion Design
Fashion Design degrees cover various skills, including illustration, digital design, pattern cutting, draping, garment construction, textiles, colour theory, trend forecasting, and collection development. Studio work forms the core of the programme, where students work on their projects and collections.
Common career outcomes
- Fashion designer
- Assistant designer
- Textile designer
- Pattern maker
- Costume designer
Fashion Business Management
A Fashion Business Management degree explores how the fashion industry operates. Students learn about branding, consumer behaviour, marketing strategy, buying and merchandising, retail management, supply chains, and sustainability. This track can be a good fit for students who want to work on the business side of creative industries.
Common career outcomes
- Brand manager
- Fashion buyer
- Merchandiser
- Retail manager
- Business manager
- E-commerce manager
Fashion Technology
Degrees combining fashion and technology go by several names: Fashion Technology, Technical Design, and Fashion Product Innovation, for example. This track looks at how garments and textiles actually work, including manufacturing techniques, fibre properties, and textile science. You’ll often work alongside designers, laboratory technicians, and product managers to make sure creative concepts are technically viable, production-ready, and sustainable.
Common career outcomes
- Textile designer
- Product developer
- Fashion researcher
- Fashion sustainability consultant
- Garment technologist
Fashion Marketing
Fashion marketers connect brands with customers. During a Fashion Marketing degree, you’ll learn about marketing through a fashion lens, exploring trend forecasting, brand positioning, retail analytics, social media, and communication for fashion brands.
Common career outcomes
- Fashion marketer
- Brand manager
- Campaign coordinator
- Fashion PR specialist
- Retail marketing manager
Entry requirements for Fashion Design degrees
Entry requirements vary by country and university, but most Fashion Design programmes require:
- A secondary school diploma or equivalent
- Specific grade requirements in certain subjects (often in Art, Design, or related subjects)
- Proof of English language proficiency
- Portfolio
For Fashion Design portfolios, universities want to see both the outcome (completed design) and your process (sketches, drafts, research pages). Here are some examples of what you may be asked to submit:
- Fashion research (photographs, notes, inspirational images)
- Development work (sketches, mood boards, prints, fabric examples)
- Outcome (the final result of your project, where your research and development come together)
- Drawing samples
- Essay on a given topic
- Any specific assignments on sewing, knitting, drawing, or other related skills
Keep in mind that universities have their own requirements related to the number of pages you should submit, word limit for essays, or specific instructions related to the sketches.
Get your start in the industry with a Fashion degree
Studying Fashion Design helps refine your skills, teaches you new techniques, and gives you valuable industry connections. While New York, Paris, London, and Milan are home to some of the best fashion schools, you’ll also find high-quality degrees all around the world.
Here are some steps to choose the right school, fashion career path, and destination:
- Decide which aspect of fashion interests you most and aligns with your goals: Do you see yourself designing clothes, developing innovative textiles, managing teams, or building marketing campaigns? Answering this question will help you choose between the Design, Management, Technology, and Marketing tracks.
- Research Fashion degrees: Use Bachelorsportal for Bachelor’s in Fashion Design and other related tracks, and Mastersportal for Master’s in Fashion. Compare module lists, internship opportunities, and industry partnerships.
- Check entry requirements: Especially for the portfolio section, you’ll need to follow each university’s specific guidelines carefully. In addition to the portfolio, make sure to check grade expectations, language requirements, and application deadlines early on, so you have enough time to prepare.
