Tennessee is home to 109 Title IV degree-granting institutions, with more than 330,000 students enrolled. The state’s modest collection of Title IVs consists of traditional colleges and universities, technical schools, art schools, design schools, and more. A number of Tennessee schools rank among the nation’s best schools by Princeton Review, Forbes, Businessweek, and others. Alums, education blogs, student groups, and other similar groups routinely rank several Tennessee colleges among the nations “Top” schools as well.
These groups evaluate schools based on affordability, convenience, student clubs and organizations, recreation, student population, job placement services, and other similar factors, while college ranking agencies such as Princeton Review consider other factors ranging from faculty resources to graduation and retention rates. Whether listed as a “Top” school or a “Best” school, Tennessee’s top-tier schools often offer a wide variety of programs for aspiring artists and designers—including fashion designers.
Just a few top Tennessee schools for fashion include O’More College of Design in Franklin, Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, and Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.
Continue reading to learn more about Tennessee’s best fashion schools and what they have to offer. Please note that the top schools listed below are in order by student population, from largest to smallest.
Murfreesboro
Middle Tennessee State University
Student Population: 26,000+
Backdrop: City, 500+ acre campus, easy access to Nashville, Franklin
Degrees Offered: B.S. Textiles, Merchandising, and Design with an emphasis in Apparel Design or Fashion Merchandising, Minor in Textiles, Merchandising & Design with an option in Fashion Merchandising or Apparel Design, B.S. Interior Design
Murfreesboro
Tennessee State University
Student Population: 9,165
Backdrop: City, 500-acre campus, easy access to Nashville, Franklin
Degrees Offered: B.S. Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Design or Fashion Merchandising
Nashville
Lipscomb University
Student Population: 2,740
Backdrop: Metropolis, 75-acre campus, easy access to Murfreesboro, Franklin
Degrees Offered: B.S. Textiles and Apparel, B.S. Fashion Merchandising
Nashville
The Art Institute of Tennessee, Nashville
Student Population: 903
Backdrop: Metropolis, small campus, easy access to Murfreesboro, Franklin
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion & Retail Management, Fashion Retailing Diploma, B.F.A. Interior Design
Top Fashion School Programs Tennessee - Other Cities and Towns
Cookeville
Tennessee Tech University
Student Population: 11,469
Backdrop: Rural, 235-acre campus, easy access to Nashville, Murfreesboro
Degrees Offered: B.S. Human Ecology with a focus in Merchandising and Design
Franklin
O’More College of Design
Student Population: 200
Backdrop: City, small campus, easy access to Nashville, Murfreesboro
Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.F.A. Interior Design
More Schools to Consider:
- San Francisco and Online
Sources
Peterson’s
Princeton Review
U.S. News & World Report College Rankings
