Ever wished there was a fashion equivalent to the The Guardian’s university guide? Well now, thanks to The Business of Fashion, there is. With demand for higher education in fashion related subjects, the publication has launched the BoF Global Fashion School Rankings, designed to help prospective students “navigate this increasingly complex fashion education landscape.”
A shortlist of 24 top fashion institutions have been ranked according to three factors: global influence, learning experience and long-term value, with data gathered from over 4,000 students and recent alumni, as well as 88 HR professionals and “global fashion influencers”.
So which schools have emerged triumphant? Well, Central Saint Martins has come out on top for undergraduate courses and second, to Royal College of Art, for graduate courses. Kingston University came in third for BA courses, closely followed by New York based institutions, Parsons The New School of Fashion and Fashion Institute of Technology.
However it’s not all good news: the survey revealed large levels of dissatisfaction among those surveyed. Apparently just 57 per cent are happy with careers services provided by their schools, 53 per cent with networking events and 49 per cent with the quality of recruiters on campus.
With students suffering from soaring tuition fees (an average of £11,000 for BA courses and £15,000 for MA courses) and a lack of career prospects – it’s clear that they are expecting a greater return on their investment in further education.
Undergraduate Courses (BA)
1. Central Saint Martins, London
2. Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo
3. Kingston University, London
4. Parsons The New School of Fashion, New York
5. Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Graduate Courses (MA)
1. Royal College of Art, London
2. Central Saint Martins, London
3. Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp
4. London College of Fashion, London
5. Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Atlanta
Head here for the BoF Global Fashion School Rankings.
