Top 20 Private Fashion Merchandising Schools in the US - 2023 Rankings

Savannah College of Art & Design, GA

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was founded in 1978. The school, which is home to nearly 11,000 students from all 50 states and over 100 countries, offers 40 undergraduate degree programs, 61 graduate degree programs, and 77 minors. With campuses in Savannah, Atlanta, and Lacoste, France, SCAD offers a variety of programs for aspiring fashion designers. Offerings include degree programs in Accessory Design, Fashion, Fashion Marketing and Management, Fibers, Jewelry, Luxury and Fashion Management and the newest offering, Business of Beauty and Fragrance. SCAD offers the largest jewelry and fiber programs in the United States, the first MFA in accessory design in the world, the first graduate-level luxury and fashion management program, and the first business of beauty and fragrance program in the U.S. SCAD holds the record as the university with the most wins at the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund awards. And SCAD students have been awarded multiple International Design Awards (IDA) brozen, silver, and gold awards.

Students may also earn their MA in Luxury and Fashion Management and MA and MFA in Fashion online through SCAD eLearning . According to the school, “SCAD is the first art and design university to receive the Instructional Technology Council’s award for Outstanding Distance Education Program and the rank of Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning from the Sloan Consortium.”

Other Fashion Program highlights include SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film on the Atlanta campus, the university's annual shows and events including SCAD Fashion and SCAD Style, SCADpro industry design studios, master class series, and internship opportunities with national and global fashion brands and innovators, SCAD students’ educational experience is augmented by unparalleled industry access. 

The New School Parsons, NY

The New School was founded in 1896 by American Impressionist William Merritt Chase. Back then, the school was known as The Chase School, and later as New York School of Fine and Applied Art. Today, The New School/Parsons (named after the famous Parsons Table) is home to more than 10,000 students enrolled in 138 degree programs, diploma programs and majors, and more than 50 minors across five colleges. New School colleges include the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, College of Performing Arts, Schools of Public Engagement, The New School for Social Research, and Parsons School of Design.

Located in a major world fashion hub like New York City, gives Parsons’ students access to resources, events and people unattainable in many parts of the country.

The Parsons School of Design consists of 6 separate schools, which include the School of Art & Design History and Theory, the School of Art, Media and Technology, the School of Design Strategies, the School of Constructed Environments, the School of Fashion, and Parsons Paris.

Options for aspiring fashion designers include a Certificate, and AAS and BFA degrees in Fashion Design, an AAS in Fashion Marketing, a BFA Integrated Studies, an MA in Fashion Studies, and an MFA in Textiles or Fashion Design and Society. AAS students study Accessories Design, Drawing, Fashion, Materials and Fabrication, Sustainable Design, and Textiles. BFA students will also study Accessories Design, Drawing, Fashion, and Sustainable Design as well as Fashion History, Theory, and Criticism, Materials and Fabrication, and Textiles. BFA Fashion students also have the opportunity to complete the program at Parsons Paris.

BFA in Integrated Studies students can study everything from Fashion and Textiles to Urban Design. MA in Fashion Studies students can study everything from Branding, Fashion and Textiles to Materials and Fabrication. The MFA in Fashion Design and Society highlights Fashion, Fashion History, Materials and Fabrication, Physical Computing/Wearable Technology, Sustainable Design, Textiles, Design Research, and more. All programs offer the opportunity to study at Parsons Paris, participation in the Annual Fashion Show, and the opportunity to work with 560—the Parsons School of Design magazine.

Notable program alumni include Anna Sui, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Narciso Rodriguez, and many others.

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, CA

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) was founded in 1969. It is home to 5,300 students, 300 faculty members, and an advisory board that includes “industry giants” such as Fred Segal, Diane von Furstenberg, Tim Gunn (of Project Runway, Filmed at FIDM), and Emanuel Ungaro.  Four Southern California campus locations, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Irvine make the school an attractive place to study fashion as well.

The school offers 26 creative majors leading to an AA, BA or BS in the areas of fashion, graphics, interior design or entertainment.  Degree programs for aspiring fashion designers include a BA in Design, a BS in Apparel Technical Design, and AA degrees in Fashion Design, Fashion Knitwear Design, Jewelry Design, Merchandise Product Development, and Textile Design. Associate of Arts Advanced Study Programs (ADV) programs include Advanced Fashion Design, Film and TV Costume Design, Footwear Design, International Manufacturing & Product Development, Menswear, and Textile Production and Development.

In addition to a wide variety of program offerings, fashion students can collaborate on special ‘Industry Partner Projects’ with brands like Nike, Murad, Athleta, Signal Snowboards, Lacoste, GUESS, and TOMS. Part-time work and internships with companies like J Brand Jeans, Stila, Topshop, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, and Adidas are an integral part of the curriculum.   There are also annual study tours that will take students to fashion capitals such as New York, Paris, London, Rome, Milan, and more. Students may also participate in the annual DEBUT Runway Show.

Drexel University, PA

Drexel University was established in 1891 by Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel. The school, which began as Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, is home to 25,595 students enrolled in more than 200 degree programs across 15 colleges and schools. The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is home to the Department of Fashion, Product and Design & Merchandising.

The Department offers several programs for aspiring fashion designers. Offerings include a BS and an MS in Fashion Design. Students may enhance their degree by opting for a Minor in Retail. Administered by the Design & Merchandising (D&M) program, the Minor “provides basic foundations in retail operations, buying and merchandise planning and e-commerce.” A BS in D&M is also on the menu.

Fashion design students also have access to “studios and specialized labs” at the school’s URBN Center, they have access to the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC), and students may enroll in the study abroad program which may take them places such as London (London College of Fashion), England, and Florence. In addition, students may submit their creations to national and international competitions each year, and upon completion of the program, they have the opportunity to show their final collections in the Department’s Annual Fashion Show.

The 2018 show will be held at the headquarters for Urban Outfitters. The show runs to two separate audiences and features designs this year from 34 separate designers; and the show is collaboration with several other Drexel University departments.

LIM College, NY

LIM College was founded by Maxwell F. Marcuse in 1939 as the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM). The school, which became LIM College in 2009, is home to ~1,800 students enrolled in associate, bachelor’s & master's degree programs in several fashion-focused majors.

There are a variety of programs for aspiring fashion merchandisers. Offerings include Associate in Applied Sciences (AAS), Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS), and Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees (BBA) in Fashion Merchandising, and Bachelor of Science degrees (BS) in International Business & Fashion Media. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBAs) in Visual Studies, Marketing, Management, & the Business of Fashion are also available.

Graduate offerings include Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degrees in Fashion Merchandising & Retail Management, Fashion Marketing, the Business of Fashion, and Global Fashion Supply Chain Management.

Among the minors offered are: Beauty, Digital Business, Event Planning, Fashion Styling, Interior & Home Concepts, Photo Styling & Set Design, Digital Design & Photography, Global Studies, and Sustainability.

Program highlights include participation in the Annual Fashion Show, optional membership in the Fashion Show Production Club, the Fashion Styling Club and other organizations, and study abroad opportunities on 4 continents.

Cornell University, NY

Cornell University was founded in 1865. The school established the first four-year schools of hotel administration and industrial and labor relations, and it awarded the world's first degree in journalism and the first doctorates in electrical and industrial engineering. Home to nearly 22,000 students, today the school offers 80 undergraduate majors, 90 minors, and 108 graduate fields of study across 14 colleges and schools and 100 academic departments.

The College of Human Ecology, Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD) is home to a unique collection of fashion programs that combine “design, art, biology, chemistry, engineering and social science concepts and methods” with the long-term goal of “effecting change in design, in materials, in people's health and well-being, in manufacturing, in economic vitality, and in the environment.” Undergraduate offerings include BS degrees in Fashion Design, Fiber Science, Fashion Design Management, and a Dual Degree.

The Dual Degree Program allows students to earn a BFA and a BA from the College of Arts and Sciences, a BS from the College of Human Ecology or a BS from the College of Engineering. A Minor in Fiber Science is also on the menu. Graduate offerings include MA and PhD degrees in Apparel Design, MS and PhD degrees in Fiber Science, and an MPS in Human Ecology. The MPS program offers a Focus (graduate field) in Fiber Science and Apparel Design.

The Department of FSAD maintains the Cornell Costume and Textile Collection, which features “more than 10,000 items of apparel dating from the eighteenth century to the present, as well as a substantial collection of ethnographic textiles and costume.” The Department is also home to the Cornell Institute of Fashion and Fiber Innovation (CIFFI), which was established to “advance knowledge and foster collaborations between academia and industry in the areas of fashion design, marketing and culture, fiber science, technology, and materials testing.”

In addition to access to the Textile Collection and CIFFI, FSAD students have the opportunity to compete for the Cornell Design Award and display their collections at the Cornell Fashion Collective Runway Show. 2018 held the 34th running of the fashion show, which nearly 150 students participated in; with 29 student designers.

New York University - Steinhardt School of Culture, NY

The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development is a private university located in New York City, NY and is the secondary liberal arts and education school of New York University.  Established in 1890, the Steinhardt School offers bachelor’s master’s, advanced certificates, and doctoral degrees in applied psychology, art, education, health, media, and music.  Over 2,500 undergraduates are enrolled and with more than 3,300 graduate students, Steinhardt is the largest graduate school in NYU.  

Steinhardt offers a Master of Arts in Costume Studies as well as a dual master’s degree combining Costume Studies and Library Science.  Costume Studies includes courses in exhibition and museum topics, art theory and criticism, and decorative arts, as well as plenty of fieldwork and research.  Faculty teach courses in costume and textile history, and expose students to unique collections of costumes and accessories at leading institutions throughout New York.  Graduates of the MA Costume Studies and Library Science dual degree may find careers as specialists/scholar-librarians in academic and research institutions, or as archivists in libraries, museums, publishing houses, and fashion companies.

In addition to their regular coursework, students will complete an internship as part of their graduate program.  Past internships have been offered at prestigious cultural institutions in New York including the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the New-York Historical Society.  Internship coordinators assist in securing internships with respected museums, fashion designers, design firms, magazines, and more. Steinhardt is proud that their highly sought after students are able to gain practical experience, valuable professional contacts, and a unique perspective on possible careers in the art world via these one of a kind internships.

Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson University, PA

In 2017 Philadelphia University leadership decided to merge with Thomas Jefferson University (PhilaU), another local Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Institution.  The new combined school is simply called Jefferson.  Thomas Jefferson University was founded in 1824 and Philadelphia University was founded in 1884. Both were ahead of their time and focused on the importance of experiential learning. The new Jefferson was established on July 1, 2017 as a result of the merger of these two renowned universities.

Within Jefferson, remains the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce,  Kanbar was retained as a legacy college from the days of PhilaU, and still is home to two schools — the School of Design and Engineering and the School of Business. The School of Design and Engineering offers a number of undergraduate and advanced degree programs for aspiring fashion designers. Offerings include BS degrees in Fashion Design, Textile Design, and Textile Materials Technology, MS degrees in Global Fashion Enterprise, Textile Design, and Textile Engineering, and a PhD in Textile Engineering and Sciences.

Program highlights include internships with companies such as Vogue, Betsey Johnson, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch, and study abroad opportunities in London, Rome, Hong Kong, Seoul, Melbourne, Dominican Republic, Scotland, New Zealand, and Denmark. Students also have access to PhilaU’s Historic Textile and Costume Collection as well as “specialized space for individual programs including, engineering labs, fashion design studios, textile studios with state-of-the-art machinery, and industrial design studios.” The Textile and Costume Collection features “museum-quality garments, accessories, and textiles as sources of design inspiration for the modern-day design and product-development process.”

Marist College, NY

Marist College was founded in 1929. It is home to more than 6,500 students enrolled in more than 140 degree programs and minors across seven schools. The School of Communication and the Arts offers several programs for aspiring fashion designers. Offerings include a BFA in Fashion Design and a BS in Fashion Merchandising with a Product Development Concentration. The Marist College Fashion Program is pleased to offer a Masters of Science degree in Global Fashion Merchandising in collaboration with Mod-Spe Paris, the Fashion Business School.

Short-term studies to Europe and Asia, and full semester abroad studies in London, Paris, Florence & Hong Kong round out the students education. Fashion Design majors may also earn their degree in Florence, Italy or choose a Minor in Merchandising or Product Development.

Marist's strength in internship placement, and unusual depth of internship opportunities, derives from our close proximity to New York City. In the fashion capital of the world, students have access to a wide variety of work environments. Fashion students have completed internships at companies such as Michael Kors, BCBG, Chanel, Harpers Bazaar, Macy's, Nordstrom, Ross Stores and Ralph Lauren and the Silver Needle Runway Show.

The School of Communication and the Arts encourages all students to complete two internships, which will give them a strong advantage when it comes to job opportunities. Fashion Program alumni have been hired by companies such as Ann Taylor, BCBG, Chanel, Donna Karan, GAP, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, MTV, Perry Ellis, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tahari, Tory Burch, and many more.

Moore College of Art & Design, PA

Moore College of Art & Design was founded in 1848. It is the first and only visual arts college for women in the U.S. The school is home to 440 students enrolled in 10 majors leading to a BFA. Moore also offers five graduate programs, certificate programs, and 17 tracks leading to one of 11 minors to complement the major courses of study. Offerings for aspiring fashion designers include a BFA and a Minor in Fashion Design, and a Certificate in Fashion Studies with two tracks including Apparel Construction and Technical Design.

Program highlights include opportunities to work several shows during NYC Fashion Week, both paid and unpaid internships at major companies such as Ana Sui, Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Halston, Marc Jacobs, Nordstrom, Rag & Bone, and Zac Posen, and participation in the Annual Fashion Show. Students may also participate in the “Fashion Critic Program,” which gives students the opportunity to work with a designer from the fashion industry. This ensures that the students’ creations are “professional and marketable.

”Graduates of the Fashion Program at Moore College of Art have worked for major designers and companies such as Adrienne Vittadini, Anne Klein Studio, Badgley Mischka, Fila, Jones New York, Liz Claiborne, Sean John, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, and many others.  Dom Streater, a ‘10 alum, took home the prize, and join the rising fashion elite winning season 12 of Project Runway.

Academy of Art University, CA

Academy of Art University was established in 1929. The school, which had a 2016 fall enrollment of 7,959 students, offers dozens of programs in the areas of art and design. The School of Fashion at Academy of Art offers several programs for aspiring fashion designers. Undergraduate offerings include an AA in Fashion, a BFA in Fashion with an Emphasis in Fashion Design, Textile Design, or Knitwear Design, BFA degrees in Fashion Product Development and Costume Design, a Certificate in Fashion, and an Online Award of Completion in Fashion Design. A BA degree in Fashion Journalism is also offered. Graduate offerings include MFA degrees in Fashion, Costume Design, Fashion Product Development, Knitwear Design, Textile Design & Fashion Merchandising and Management.

According to the Academy, fashion students have access to facilities that feature “the same leading-edge equipment and resources that top fashion houses enjoy.” Internship opportunities are also available as well as the opportunity to participate in Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City and the Annual Graduation Fashion Show in San Francisco. According to the Academy, “the show has been heralded as the ‘Fashion Week of San Francisco’ by both local and national members of the fashion industry.

Graduates of the Academy of Art University have been hired at major companies such as Gap, Kate Spade, Levi Strauss & Co., Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Adidas, Ralph Lauren, and many others.

Miami International University of Art & Design, FL

Miami International University of Art & Design (MIU) is one of The Art Institutes, a system of nonprofit schools throughout the United States.  It was originally established in 1965 as The International Fine Arts College. Today the school is home to more than 2,000 from over 60 countries and offers programs in the areas of Design, Fashion, and Media Arts.  Located in downtown Miami, a modern, cosmopolitan and multicultural city it offers students an unprecedented opportunity to explore, participate, and contribute to their life experience. MIU encompasses a diverse population and provides a live medium in which you can expand your culture and knowledge.

Programs for aspiring fashion designers include AA degrees in Fashion Design, AA in Accessory Design or a BFA in Fashion Design. Alternatively MIU offers those with more interest in the business of fashion either an AA or a BA in Fashion Merchandising.  All students have access to Miami’s thriving fashion scene and campus amenities such as multiple studios, 20 computer labs and classrooms, lecture rooms, a library and media center, an 800 square foot Main Gallery, student lounges, and a top-rated Career Services Department. The Department, which hosts a quarterly job fair, attracts some of the best local, regional, and nationwide companies.

Berkeley College, NY

Founded in 1931, Berkeley College is a private for-profit college with campuses in New York and New Jersey. With a total enrollment of approximately 3,800 students, Berkeley provides many opportunities for their students to succeed in the fashion industry. Through their Fashion Merchandising and Management degree programs, students are able to focus on the business side of the fashion industry, and are trained in all aspects of the complete fashion global supply chain. 

Offering their students a choice between a Fashion Merchandising and Management Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.) and Fashion Merchandising and Management Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (B.B.A.), Berkeley emphasizes the importance of business and fashion. 

Berkeley students are provided with an in-depth experience of the fashion business industry and have easy access to frequent industry experts as guest speakers and special industry-related events. Through the opportunity to participate in an internship or job-related assignment, Berkeley students are well prepared after graduation.

Baylor University, TX

Chartered in 1845, Baylor University is currently home to 16,787 students enrolled in more than 250 degree programs across nine colleges and schools. The Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences houses the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, which offers one program for aspiring fashion designers—a BS in Apparel Design & Product Development as well as a BS in Apparel Merchandising.

The Apparel Design program provides a “diversified educational experience, encompassing academic excellence in a Christian environment that prepares students to enter the apparel industry profession.”  The program also offers the opportunity to participate in the Annual Baylor Fashion Show, which takes place at the end of spring semester each year. Field experiences are on the menu as well and may include trips to Dallas Market, Studios of Apparel Designers, Apparel Manufacturing Firms, and FGI Dallas Career Day, which is held at the Apparel Mart.

The Apparel Merchandising program at Baylor focuses on developing skills, including communication, analytical thinking, teamwork, and ethical behavior. These skills help graduates as they apply management, marketing theory and business principles to the global apparel industry.

Marymount University, VA

The School of Arts and Sciences at Marymount offers the only Fashion Merchandising program in the Washington DC area, an international retail center. Options include a BA and a minor in Fashion Merchandising. The program teaches buying, product development, public relations and fashion events, writing and media, visual merchandising and international trade. Students produce the annual (televised) Portfolio in Motion Fashion Show, examine costumes in Marymount's historic collection, and have opportunities to study abroad and do internships in Europe, Central and South America, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East. They intern domestically with Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Burberry, Nordstrom, Theory and the US Department of Commerce. They travel to the NYC fashion market and the MAGICShow, the sourcing market in Las Vegas. 

Founded in 1950, Marymount University consists of four schools including the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education and Human Services, and the Malek School of Health Professions. Home to 3,286 students enrolled in more than 75 programs Marymount University sits on a convenient 21-acres campus just 3 miles from Washington DC, less than 40 miles from Baltimore, and around 127 miles from Philadelphia. Marymount's membership int he Consortium of Universities in Washington DC gives students the opportunity to take courses at the other universities in the metro area.

Fontbonne University, MA

Fontbonne University was founded in 1923. It is home to more than 1,800 students enrolled in nearly 100 majors, minors, and graduate programs through several colleges and dozens of departments. The Bonnie and L.B. Eckelkamp College of Global and Professional Studies offers more than a dozen undergraduate, graduate and minor programs, including one program for aspiring fashion merchandisers.

The BS in Fashion Merchandising prepares students for a variety of careers in the global fashion industry. Just a few include Merchandiser, Merchandise Manager, Brand Manager, Product Developer, and more. Program highlights include internships at companies such as Chanel Boutique, Nordstrom, and Michael Kors, Fashion Study Tours of Dallas and New York City, and study abroad opportunities in London, France, Italy, and more.

Fashion merchandising students also have the opportunity to become involved in student organizations such as ODK, FAB, SGA, and Enactus, and all students may participate in the Annual Fashion Show. Graduates of the Fashion Merchandising Program at Fontbonne have bene hired by companies such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and many others.

Mercyhurst University, PA

Established in 1926, Mercyhurst University is a private Catholic college with ties to the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. The school began with just 75 acres of farmland and a few students. Today Mercyhurst University (MU) averages between 3,000 and 4,000 students annually, the school has added an 84-acre site—the 100-year-old Redemptorist Seminary in North East), and the school is set to add 405 additional acres as the future site of Mercyhurst West (now in operation in a temporary facility in Girard). 

Mercyhurst University offers more than 50 majors with 67 concentrations and a wide variety of minors. The Walker School of Business & Communication is home to Mercyhurst University’s Fashion Merchandising program. The program offers the option to study, live, and learn in New York City through the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Visiting Student Program. Upon the completion of both programs, students will receive a Bachelor’s degree from Mercyhurst and an Associate degree from FIT.

In addition to the FIT program, students will have the opportunity to travel to New York City's Garment District every other year. Fashion Merchandising students may choose to study abroad when they are not touring NYC. Past locations have included London, Paris, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome. 

Immaculata University, PA

Founded in 1920, Immaculata University (IU) sits on a 375-acre campus overlooking historic Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located just 20 miles from Philadelphia, the school is home to 3,600 students enrolled in more than 60 programs. One of the most popular programs is the Fashion Merchandising program. Part of the Fashion/Family & Consumer Sciences Department, the program leads to a BS in Fashion Merchandising.

This “customizable” BS program has eight Minors to choose from including Visual Merchandising, Buying, Marketing, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Graphic Arts for Fashion, Communication, and Public Relations & Journalism. Other program highlights include field experiences at QVC, GAP, Carolina Apparel, Ann Taylor Loft, Talbots, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and many others, participation in the Annual Fashion Show, and trips to fashion capitals such as New York City. Students may also join a variety of organizations such as the IU Fashion Group and Kappa Chi Chapter of Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society. 
Depending on the students customized curriculum, career options include (but are not limited to) Account Executive, Merchandise Manager, Purchasing, Senior Buyer, Visual Merchandiser, Fashion Forecaster, Fashion Marketing Coordinator, Technical Designer, Product Line Developer, Fashion Magazine Editor, and Product Campaign Specialist.

Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri

Stephens College, located in Columbia Missouri, was founded in 1833 and is currently home to around 700 female students enrolled in more than 20 programs.  It is the second oldest women’s college in the country and continues an unwavering dedication to women's undergraduate education.   The college consists of four schools including the Schools of Design, Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Performing Arts.

The School of Design offers degree programs for aspiring fashion designers: including a BA in Apparel Studies and a BFA in Fashion Design & Product Development.   Academic concentrations are available within Apparel Studies, Event and Convention Management, Fashion Communication, Fashion Design and Product Development, Fashion Marketing and Management, Graphic Design Communications and Integrated Marketing Communications.

Program highlights include study trips to international fashion capitals, the opportunity to intern at companies such as Escada, Cosmopolitan, Baby Phat, and WWD, and participation in The Collections Annual Fashion Show (est. 1944). Past jurors have included supermodel Karlie Kloss and alumna Brianne Ratliff ’03 from Armani Exchange. In addition, students have access to the School of Design Historic Costume Museum and Research Library, which consists of more than 13,000 pieces and designer garments. Bill Blass, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and Valentino are just a few.

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York

Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is home to 4,600 students enrolled in 22 undergraduate degree programs, 26 graduate degree programs, and a variety of Certificate and Minor programs across five schools including the School of Architecture, the School of Art, the School of Design, the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the School of Information and Library Sciences.

Pratt Institute also houses and The Center for Continuing and Professional Studies. Programs for aspiring fashion designers are offered through the School of Design and the School of Art – Department of Fine Art.

The School of Design offers a BFA in Fashion Design and the School of Art offers a BFA in Fine Art with an Emphasis in Jewelry. Specialized BFA/Jewelry classes include History of Jewelry, Stone Setting, Wax Working and Casting, Raising and Forging, Chasing and Repoussé, Color on Metal, Design and Rendering, and CAD. Fashion Design students have the opportunity to participate in “annual design competitions sponsored by the CFDA and YMA FSF and competitions sponsored by companies such as Cotton Incorporated and Supima Cotton.”

Other program highlights include participation in the annual Pratt Institute Fashion Show, access to coveted internship opportunities with major designers such as Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, and Donna Karan, and study abroad and international exchange programs in more than a dozen locations including London, Milan, Florence, Copenhagen, and Tokyo.