What makes a fashion school program a “Top” program? It depends on a variety of factors you might be able to relate to. Organizations such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and Princeton Review evaluate factors such as program offerings, faculty resources, graduation and retention rates, financial resources, and student selectivity while other smaller groups may consider issues such as cost, convenience, and say, the types of student clubs and organizations. Other factors may include recreation, student population, job placement services, and even Greek life.
If you haven’t guessed already, students, alums, bloggers, and similar groups compile a large percentage of the “Top School” lists, while larger organizations such as Forbes create most “Best Schools” lists. While the formulas for selecting the “Top” schools and the “Best” schools differ, many schools still make their way onto both lists.
Continue reading to find out which New York fashion schools made the list of top schools and what each has to offer. Please note that the top schools are in order by student population, from largest to smallest.
Top Fashion School Programs New York City
New York
Fashion Institute of Technology
Student Population: 10,000
Backdrop: Urban, 5-acre campus in New York’s Chelsea area
Degrees Offered: A.A.S. Fashion Design; B.F.A. Fashion Design with concentrations in Children's Wear, Intimate Apparel, Knitwear, Special Occasion, Sportswear; International B.F.A. Fashion Design with study in New York and Milan; A.A.S and B.S. Fashion Merchandising Management; B.S. International Trade and Marketing for Fashion Industries, B.F.A. Fabric Styling; A.A.S. Jewelry Design; A.A.S. and B.S. Textile Development and Marketing; A.A.S. Menswear; A.A.S. and B.F.A. Textile/Surface Design, A.A.S. and B.S. Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries; B.S. Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing; A.A.S and B.F.A. Interior Design
New York
Berkeley College
Student Population: 7,700+
Backdrop: Urban, 25-acre campus in Midtown Manhattan
Degrees Offered: A.A.S. Fashion Marketing and Management, B.B.A. Fashion Marketing and Management, B.B.A., Fashion Marketing and Management with Minor in International Business, B.S. Fashion Marketing and Management, B.S., Fashion Marketing and Management with Minor in International Business
New York
Parsons The New School for Design
Student Population: 4,254
Backdrop: Urban, Greenwich Village campus
Degrees Offered: A.A.S. and B.F.A. Fashion Design, M.F.A. Fashion Design and Society, A.A.S Fashion Marketing, M.A. Fashion Studies, A.A.S., B.F.A. and M.F.A. Interior Design, Design Business Certificate, B.A./B.F.A. Dual Degree with options ranging from Entrepreneurship and Fashion History to Sustainable Design
Brooklyn
Pratt Institute
Student Population: 3,008
Backdrop: Urban, 26-acre campus, easy access to all of New York
Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Jewelry Design
New York
Lim College
Student Population: 1,477
Backdrop: Urban, Campus consists of 5 buildings in Manhattan
Degrees Offered: A.A.S, A.O.S., B.B.A. and B.P.S. Fashion Merchandising with tracks in Apparel & Accessories or Home Fashions; B.B.A. Fashion Marketing, B.B.A. Visual Merchandising, M.P.S. Fashion Marketing, M.P.S. Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management (Beginning in Fall 2013); MBA with tracks in Fashion Management and Entrepreneurship.
Concentration options for all undergraduate majors include Cosmetics, Fashion Communications, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Publishing, International Marketing, Retail and Merchandise Management, Styling, Visual Merchandising, Responsible Business Practices, Digital Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Event Planning.
New York
The Art Institute of New York City
Student Population: 1,270
Backdrop: Urban, 2-acre campus
Degrees Offered: A.A.S. Fashion Design
New York
Wood Tobe-Coburn School
Student Population: 483
Backdrop: Urban, Small Campus
Degrees Offered: A.A.S Fashion Design, A.A.S. Fashion Merchandising, Marketing, and Management; Fashion Design Diploma, Fashion Merchandising, Marketing, and Management Diploma
Top Fashion School Programs – State of New York Cities and Towns
Syracuse
Syracuse University
Student Population: 14,671
Backdrop: Central New York, 200-acre campus overlooking downtown Syracuse
Degrees Offered B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Communication Design, B.F.A. Environmental and Interior Design, B.F.A. Industrial and Interaction Design
Ithaca
Cornell University
Student Population: 13,935
Backdrop: Small town, 745-acre campus, easy access to Syracuse
Degrees Offered: B.S. Fiber Science & Apparel Design with concentrations in Apparel Design, Fashion Design Management, Fiber Science, B.S./B.F.A. Apparel Design/Art (Dual Degree); M.A. and Ph.D. Apparel Design; M.S. and Ph.D. Fiber Science; M.P.S. Human Ecology; Fiber Science Minor
Poughkeepsie
Marist College
Student Population: 6,303
Backdrop: Town, 210-acre campus, easy access to New York City
Degrees Offered: B.P.S. Fashion Design, B.P.S. Fashion Merchandising; Fashion Merchandising Minor, Fashion Product Development Minor
Cazenovia
Cazenovia College
Student Population: 1,000
Backdrop: Rural, 25-acre campus, easy access to Syracuse
Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Interior Design
Buffalo
Villa Maria College of Buffalo
Student Population: 500+
Backdrop: City, 9-acre campus, easy access to Niagara Falls
Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design and Merchandising with a Design or Merchandising track
More Programs to Consider:
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Sources
Peterson’s
Princeton Review
U.S. News & World Report College Rankings
