Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Fashion Designers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Santa Monica College, Fashion Institute, Academy of Art, and Ventura College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Mt Sierra College, Bethesda Christian, Fashion Institute, and Fashion Institute.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Fashion Institute and Fashion Institute.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Otis College of Art and Design, Art Center, San Francisco State, and UCLA.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mendocino College, Monterey Peninsula College, Santa Ana College, and Canada College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of San Francisco Art Institute, California Institute of the Arts, Academy of Art, and California College of the Arts.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Point Loma Nazarene University, UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, and UC Davis.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UCLA and UC Davis.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, Otis College of Art and Design, and UC Davis.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at California Institute of the Arts, UC Davis, Point Loma Nazarene University, and UCLA.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight California Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: North Hollywood, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Santa Monica
- Programs: 12 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Locations: Anaheim, Clovis, Concord, Lathrop, Oxnard, Rancho Cordova, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Dimas, Sylmar, Torrance, West Covina
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate
International Academy of Design and Technology
- Locations: Sacramento
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
- Locations: Alhambra, Ontario
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
See these schools on a map
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Coursework, Diploma
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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The Fashion Institute Of Design And Merchandising • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Fashion Design AA (completion in 2010)
• 9/19/2011
"I am satisfied with the education that I got, but I do believe that I could have learned a lot more if they focused on fitting different body types and fitting live models. Though there are some things that I would change about the program, I did learn a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | FIDM is what the student makes of it. If they're not willing to work hard and think that fashion design is easy, I wouldn't recommend the school to them. However, if on really wants to go into design, enjoy every aspect of it, and want it badly enough to deal with the stress and tears. In the end, FIDM is a very enjoyable and rewarding learning experience. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Although the goals of the program got confusing at times, I do believe that the fashion design program at FIDM is a very good experience. It pushes students to do their best and teaches them that they'll get only what they put into it. Focus is a big part of the fashion design program and if a student doesn't have it, they're not going to make it. |
| Program Quality | 8 | FIDM had a lot of amazing teachers and great resources, but I do believe that they could have changed the curriculum to help students understand tailoring and fitting better. We didn't learn how to fit clothing to different body shapes which I believe is a setback since Americans have so many different body types. |
| Instruction | 7 | Considering what I knew before I went to FIDM, I learned a lot and developed my sewing, draping, and pattern skills so much. Sometimes it seemed as if the teachers were even confused about the curriculum because it was changing so quickly. This was frustrating at times for students who were looking for guidance. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The challenge and workload were highly stressful and I frequently had to stay up all night to finish work. However, this taught me a good work ethic and made me work harder on things once I graduated. It made me take pride in my work because I did way more than I ever thought that I could. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some teachers preferred hands-on learning by demonstrating techniques and lecturing. They expected us to use the book if we had any problems or questions at home. Other teachers would give us page numbers and let us ask them questions if we needed to. The situation varied in every class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Even though I didn't always get the classes that I wanted, our school had a lot of choices. I always found a way to work out my schedule due to their many options of different times, days, and teachers. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising had very good resources at their Los Angeles campus. I attended their San Diego campus first and would not recommend any other campus than the main one in LA because I feel that starting in San Diego set me back. Since the San Diego campus didn't have as many resources or lab times with teachers, I didn't get to fully excel. |
| Social Life | 5 | There were not many social events at FIDM. There were events held at the smaller campuses because everyone knew each other, but in Los Angeles they didn't make much of an effort to get students together. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Although they have good job placement in California and New York, I think that they forget about the smaller states and other areas of the world. They need to work on reaching everyone. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | There are alumni newsletters sent out every now and then and alumni groups in every state, but I do think that they need to develop them a little more; especially in Hawaii and other small states. |
UCSB • Santa Barbara, CA
Studying Art (completion in 2011)
• 1/19/2012
"I took a lot from my experience at UCSB. I would have gained more from a practice-oriented school, but I learned what I could."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think there are better choices for people who want to go into the fashion industry. There are schools that will prepare you for practicing your field when you graduate, but I feel as if UCSB is more of a preparation for grad school. I would most likely recommend an art institute, or some place like FIDM. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I don't feel like the major has a good reputation. People don't think of art majors when they think of UCSB. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The major at my school was too theory-based. I would have liked to practice more of what we were studying. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors were very good. Most of them were very accomplished in their field and had a lot to offer. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was not very hard to maintain good grades in art classes. There were many classes that challenged you. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school was very book learning oriented. The classes were based on theory rather than practice, which I disliked. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | It was usually very easy to get classes that fit. There were classes all throughout the day in different courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | We had good facilities. There were nice labs to use as well as studio spaces. |
| Social Life | 9 | I had a lot of fun at my school. It is a very social place and everyone is very friendly. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I received no job placement assistance. I don't believe the art department actively engages students with employers. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't feel a strong connection to alumni. I feel like most schools do more to connect the alumni. |
Marymount Palos Verdes College • Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Studying Design And Merchandising (completion in 1989)
• 1/20/2012
"I wasted two years at this school and should have had more confidence and have applied to a four year university instead."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Absolutely do not go here. Choose an arts specific school or just jump into the industry and learn through work. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | I haven't heard anyone else studying this major at the school. Most choose an art school. |
| Program Quality | 1 | The program was poor. It didn't prepare me at all for the working world. The school had absolutely no connections in fashion to assist in internships or job placement. |
| Instruction | 1 | The professors I had were bitter that they were teaching and not working in the field. They were discouraging and unimaginative. |
| How Difficult | 1 | Projects were very simple and we were not pushed to perform. Teaching was done from a book rather than experience. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Only book. There were no-hands on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Class offerings are small so there isn't a lot of flexibility. Also because classes are small it's very apparent when you aren't there. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | There was a very small incomplete library. The school had no connections to major museums in the area to assist with research. |
| Social Life | 5 | It's very much like an extended high school. The social events were very organized, prom-like gatherings. |
| Placement Services | Absolutely nonexistent. Jobs are acquired by children working for their wealthy parents. | |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There are no networking opportunities. I am only contacted to donate money. |
California Design College • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Fashion Design (completion in 2003)
• 1/19/2012
"I was satisfied with my school, as I learned all the basic skills I needed for my career. I only wished that they had a better alumni and career services to make getting a job easier for students after graduation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they really loved fashion and were given the facts on how difficult industry is, then I would recommend the school. Otherwise I would advise them to find another career. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | California Design College was bought by the Art Institute which, unfortunately, is not known to have a strong Fashion Design Major in the industry. It is also very expensive to attend. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Classes were very good as they incorporated computer skills in the program like Photoshop, illustrator, U4ia etc. Average rating because it was very expensive and the job placement was not as advertised. |
| Instruction | 5 | Basic skills taught in terms of design, pattern-making and sewing, computer skills were good enough in preparation for my career. Unfortunately, I think the most important skills needed were learned from the various job experience, for example management, deadlines, production, sales etc. |
| How Difficult | 1 | The teachers were very good and I loved the computer programs. I was also a very good student and was eager to learn. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Because they had a lot of working professionals attending the school, they tried to provide both hands on and book learning experience for the students. I don't think being very hands on is possible in school because it is learned from experience working with various fashion companies, not classrooms. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I loved the schedule when I was attending California Design College. It catered to both new fashion design students and working professionals who wanted to brush up on their computer skills, so the classes were very flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Since the school was fairly small, accessibility to professors or tutors was incredible. We were also able to have computers for everyone. Because the school was fairly new, the media, library resources were very limited. |
| Social Life | 1 | There was no social experience in California Design College. The school was more vocational/skill based so there were no extra curricular activities available. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Because it was not as popular as other fashion-based colleges, a lot of employers did not post jobs in their career services. I also feel that it had a very weak alumni network so job opportunities are very limited. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The school was fairly new so it did not have a large alumni network. I also feel that they did not endeavor to build this program as it was not a priority. |
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