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Clothes designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clothes designer. Clothes designers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or business. 59% of clothes designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 328 real clothes designer resumes to see exactly what clothes designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for clothes designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online clothes designer courses to help get the education required to be a clothes designer.
What education do you need to become a clothes designer?
What degree do you need to be a clothes designer?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a clothes designer?
- Graphic Design, 33%
- Fine Arts, 10%
- Business, 9%
- Marketing, 5%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for clothes designers
| Clothes designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 10.81% |
| The New School | 5.41% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.41% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.41% |
| New York University | 5.41% |
Best majors for clothes designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 33.3% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 9.5% |
| 3 | Business | 8.8% |
| 4 | Marketing | 4.8% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.8% |
Best colleges for clothes designers
The best colleges for clothes designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A clothes designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clothes designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become clothes designers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$11,778
Enrollment
11,156
20 best online courses for clothes designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clothes designers
The most affordable schools for clothes designers are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and florida state university.
If the best universities for clothes designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for clothes designers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clothes designers
The hardest universities for clothes designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for clothes designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for clothes designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clothes designers
The easiest schools for clothes designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clothes designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for clothes designers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average clothes designer salary by education level
| Clothes designer education level | Clothes designer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $57,915 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,469 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $81,837 |
Clothes designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025