The schools on our list below are considered “top-tier” thanks to the high-quality education they offer at a reasonable cost. These schools are also conveniently located, and they have excellent job placement services, a variety of student clubs and organizations, state-of-the-art facilities, and a diverse collection of academic programs. While these schools are tops in the academic world for majors ranging from finance to medicine, aspiring artists and designers of all kinds have taken notice.
The top schools on our list happen to offer some of the regions most competitive programs for aspiring artists and designers of all kinds—including fashion designers. Just a few top schools for aspiring designers are Virginia Commonwealth University, The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, and Virginia Tech University. Continue reading to learn more about Virginia’s top schools for aspiring fashion designers and what they have to offer. Please note that the schools have been arranged by population—largest to smallest.
Top Fashion School Programs Virginia – Major Cities
Richmond
Virginia Commonwealth University
Student Population: 31,000+
Backdrop: City, 144-acre campus, easy access to Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach VA, Washington DC
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion Merchandising, B.F.A. Fashion Design, M.F.A. Fine Arts with Specializations in Fibers and Jewelry & Metalworking
Arlington
Marymount University
Student Population: 3,702
Backdrop: City, 21-acre main campus, easy access to Washington DC, Baltimore MD, Silver Spring MD, Bethesda MD, Alexandria VA, Falls Church VA
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion Design, B.A. Fashion Merchandising, B.A. Interior Design
Arlington
The Art Institute of Washington, Arlington
Student Population: 1,149
Backdrop: City, small campus, easy access to Alexandria VA, Washington DC, Baltimore MD, Silver Spring MD, Bethesda MD, Falls Church VA
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion & Retail Management, Fashion Retailing Diploma, B.F.A. Interior Design
Virginia Beach
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
Student Population: 422
Backdrop: City, small campus, easy access to
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion & Retail Management, Fashion Retailing Diploma, B.F.A. Interior Design
Top Fashion School Programs Virginia – Other Cities and Towns
Blacksburg
Virginia Tech University
Student Population: 31,000
Backdrop: Town, 2,600-acre main campus, easy access to Roanoke VA, Salem VA, Greensboro NC
Degrees Offered: B.S. with options in Apparel Product Development or Merchandising Management
Annandale
Northern Virginia Community College
Student population: 23,000
Backdrop: Small city, 78-acre campus, easy access to Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church VA, Washington DC, Baltimore MD
Degrees Offered: Retail Management Career Studies Certificate, A.A.S. Interior Design
Radford
Radford University
Student Population: 9,500+
Backdrop: Village, 191-acre campus, easy access to Roanoke VA, Blacksburg VA, Winston-Salem NC, Greensboro NC
Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Fashion Design, B.S. Design Culture, B.S. Design Management, B.S. Merchandising for Design, Minor Design Appreciation, M.F.A. Design Thinking, B.F.A. Interior Design
Sterling/Dulles
The Art Institute of Washington, Northern Virginia
Student Population: 189
Backdrop: Town, 19,000 sq. ft. campus, easy access to Fairfax VA, Washington DC, Baltimore MD
Degrees Offered: B.A. Fashion & Retail Management, Fashion Retailing Diploma, B.F.A. Interior Design
More Programs to Consider:
[listing]
Sources
Peterson’s
Princeton Review
U.S. News & World Report College Rankings
