How does any given school earn a reputation for being one of America’s Best Schools? The answer may vary by student, college ranking organization, or publication. Some students say the cost of tuition matters most, while others say campus life and access to state-of-the-art facilities are top priorities. While these factors are certainly important when it comes down to choosing the best school for any given individual, many college ranking organizations or publications such as Princeton Review, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, consider an entirely different set of factors to determine which schools deserve to be named one of America’s Best Colleges. Common factors include program offerings, faculty resources, graduation and retention rates, financial resources, student selectivity, and peer assessment.
Some factors fetch higher scores, while others are lower on the scale. For example, excellent graduation and retention rates might make higher marks than student selectivity (for some) and financial resources may carry more weight than peer assessment. Once a school has been evaluated and scored in all areas, the scores are calculated to arrive at a final overall score. Many Washington schools scored high in all areas.
Washington is home to 85 Title IV degree-granting schools. Although the state has fewer colleges than the national average (90), several offer some of the nations best fashion programs. Many of the state’s best options for aspiring fashion designers can be found in the state’s largest city—Seattle. Take a look at the list below to see which Washington fashion school programs made the cut.
Best Fashion School Programs Washington State – Major Cities
International Academy of Design & Technology - Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, A.A.S. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Fashion Merchandising, A.A.S. Fashion Merchandising, B.S. Retail Merchandise Management, A.S. Retail Merchandise Management, B.F.A. Interior Design
Seattle
New York Fashion Academy - Degrees Offered: 18-month Certificate Program in Design and Construction, "the only comprehensive high-fashion curriculum in the Northwest" according to the Academy.
Seattle
Seattle Central Community College - Degrees Offered: A.A.S. Apparel Design & Development
Seattle
Seattle Pacific University – Degrees Offered: B.S. Clothing and Textiles with a Fashion Merchandising or Apparel Design Emphasis, Clothing and Textiles Minor, B.S. Interior Design
Seattle
The Art Institute of Seattle – Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.S. Fashion Marketing, A.A. Fashion Design, A.A. Fashion Marketing, Fashion Retailing-Diploma, A.A. Interior Design, B.F.A. Interior Design
Best Fashion School Programs Washington State – Other Cities and Towns
Ellensburg
Central Washington University – Degrees Offered: B.S. Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising; Apparel Textiles and Merchandising Minor, Apparel Design Minor
Pullman
Washington State University – Degrees Offered: B.S. Apparel and Textiles with an option in Apparel Design or Merchandising, M.A. Apparel and Textiles with an option in Apparel Design or Merchandising
More Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco and Online
