Choosing a fashion school is exciting and a little overwhelming. There are hundreds of options, every country does things differently, and everyone has an opinion. This guide is here to make it easier: 20 of the world’s leading fashion schools, plus a friendly walkthrough of how to put together your application. Not sure where to start? Read our guide on how to choose the right fashion school first.
About this list
This is an editorial list of leading fashion schools from around the world, presented in no particular order. It is not a ranking, it is not paid and no school asked to be included. It is not a measure of teaching quality.
Top 20 fashion schools
Click any school to see its page in our Fashion Schools Directory, which lists more than 400 fashion and design schools from over 70 countries.
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Our directory covers more than 400 fashion and design schools in over 70 countries.
A closer look at some of the schools
Here is a little more about some of the schools on the list, including notable alumni, to help you get a feel for what each one is like.
Central Saint Martins (UAL) — London, United Kingdom
Central Saint Martins has one of the most famous fashion departments in the world, with alumni including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Stella McCartney. Its students bring the conceptual, boundary-pushing work the school is known for.
London College of Fashion (UAL) — London, United Kingdom
London College of Fashion covers almost every corner of the industry, from design and pattern-cutting to business and media. Its alumni include shoe designer Jimmy Choo, who trained at Cordwainers, now part of LCF.
University of Westminster — London, United Kingdom
The University of Westminster teaches fashion at its Harrow campus in north-west London, where the Westminster School of Arts builds on the legacy of the Harrow School of Art. Its BA Fashion Design and MA Menswear courses both show at London Fashion Week, according to the British Fashion Council. Alumni include Vivienne Westwood, who studied at the Harrow School of Art before it became part of the university, and designers Christopher Bailey and Stuart Vevers.
Parsons School of Design — New York City, United States
Parsons is often seen as the cornerstone of American fashion education, with alumni including Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Anna Sui. It also has a sister campus in Paris, Parsons Paris.
Fashion Institute of Technology — New York City, United States
FIT, part of the State University of New York, is known for practical, industry-connected teaching across design and fashion business. Calvin Klein and Michael Kors both studied there.
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp — Antwerp, Belgium
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp is famous for the Antwerp Six, a group of designers who emerged from the school in the 1980s, including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester. Martin Margiela is another well-known alumnus.
Institut Français de la Mode — Paris, France
The Institut Français de la Mode is based at Les Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design, on the Seine in Paris. It was founded in 1986 as a postgraduate school for fashion management and joined forces with the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in 2019.
The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås — Borås, Sweden
Part of the University of Borås, the Swedish School of Textiles has roots going back to 1866 and is known for textile and fashion design, textile technology and sustainability. Alumna Ellen Hodakova Larsson won the LVMH Prize in 2024.
Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología — Madrid, Spain
UDIT, the University of Design, Innovation and Technology, shows its fashion students’ collections on its own runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid. Alumna Paloma Suárez has also presented her own collections there.
Bunka Fashion College — Tokyo, Japan
Bunka Fashion College is one of Japan’s best-known fashion schools. Its alumni include Kenzo Takada, Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe.
Hongik University — Seoul, South Korea
Hongik University is a private university in Seoul, best known for its art and design colleges, where fashion and textile design are taught. Its nickname, Hongdae, is also the name of the neighbourhood around its campus.
Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology — Beijing, China
Founded in 1959, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology describes itself as China’s first specialist institute for fashion design and engineering. It is a public college in Beijing’s Chaoyang district and is often described as the only public university in China named after clothing.
Shih Chien University — Taipei, Taiwan
Shih Chien University has campuses in Taipei and Kaohsiung and grew out of a home-economics college founded in 1958. Its College of Design includes a fashion design department, which the school describes as the first higher education fashion design programme in Taiwan.
National Institute of Fashion Technology — New Delhi, India
With campuses across India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Kannur, NIFT is one of the best-known fashion institutes in the country. Its alumni include designers Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Manish Arora.
Srinakharinwirot University — Bangkok, Thailand
Srinakharinwirot University is a public university in Bangkok that began as a teacher-training institution in 1949. Its fashion programme, a BA in Fashion, Textiles and Accessories, is taught at the College of Creative Industry.
Van Lang University — Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Van Lang University is one of Vietnam’s first private universities, based in Ho Chi Minh City since 1995. Fashion design is taught within its arts and design faculty.
Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art — Ramat Gan, Israel
Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art near Tel Aviv has one of the strongest fashion departments in the region and is known for conceptual, technically ambitious design. Its alumni include Alber Elbaz, known for his years leading Lanvin, and designer Nili Lotan.
RMIT University — Melbourne, Australia
RMIT is known for its fashion design programmes, and its alumni include Australian designers Toni Maticevski and Jenny Bannister.
Universidad de Palermo — Buenos Aires, Argentina
Universidad de Palermo is a well-known place to study fashion in Argentina, and Buenos Aires gives its students a creative scene with a strong identity of its own.
CENTRO – University of Design, Film and Television — Mexico City, Mexico
CENTRO is a private university in Mexico City, founded in 2004, that focuses on design, communication, film and digital media. Its degrees have included textile and fashion design.
How to choose the right fashion school
There is no single best school, only the best school for you. Look at graduate work as well as rankings, check how each course is structured, work out the full cost including materials and living costs, and talk to current students before you decide.
Read the full guide: How to Choose the Right Fashion School: A Practical Guide for 2027, with an eight-step approach and a quick checklist.
How to apply to fashion school, step by step
Applying can feel like a lot, so here is a simple order to tackle it in. Requirements and deadlines differ from school to school, so always check each school’s own website for the latest details.
- Make a shortlist. Pick a handful of schools, ideally a mix of dream schools and ones you feel confident about, so you are not putting everything on a single application.
- Read each school’s requirements. Look for portfolio guidelines, written statements, references, transcripts, language test scores and application fees, and put every deadline in one place. In the UK, for example, many undergraduate courses go through a central system called UCAS, while other countries use each school’s own application portal.
- Build your portfolio. Most fashion courses ask for one. Show how you think as well as what you make: research, sketches, experiments, fabric samples and finished pieces. Choose your strongest work rather than everything, and follow the school’s brief if they give you one.
- Write your personal statement. Be specific and be yourself. Explain what inspires you, what you have made, and why this particular course is the right next step.
- Prepare for an interview or portfolio review. Some schools ask for one, online or in person. Practise talking about your work: why you made your choices and what you would do differently next time.
- Sort out money and visas early. Tuition, living costs, scholarships and student visas can all take time. If you are applying from abroad, check whether you will need a language test too.
- Apply early and keep track. Submit before the deadline, keep copies of everything you send, and check your email regularly for updates from the schools.
A few friendly tips
- Photograph your work well. Clear photos in good light on a plain background make your pieces look their best.
- Get feedback before you submit. Ask a teacher, a friend or another designer to look at your portfolio and tell you what stands out.
- Do not worry if your path is unusual. Plenty of great designers start somewhere unexpected, and what matters most is the work you make.
Applying to a fashion school?
Need help with your portfolio or preparing for interviews? Ask us about a portfolio or interview consultation.
