Europe is the birthplace of fashion. From France's haute couture and Italy's alta moda to the UK's traditional tailoring, making and wearing fine clothes is a way of life in the “Old Continent.” So doesn't this make it the perfect place to learn fashion? Absolutely! It also helps that some of the world's best fashion schools are in Europe. There are various Istituto Marangoni campuses in Paris, Milan, and London, for example. Or London's iconic Central Saint Martins. There's also the historic Esmod in Paris, Milan's Istituto Europeo di Design, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Best Fashion Schools in Europe for International Students
Istituto Marangoni, Central Saint Martins, the London College of Fashion, and Esmod are some of the best European fashion schools for international students. These prestigious institutions offer programs in English, specifically catering to foreign applicants. Istituto Marangoni, in particular, is famous for its various locations around the world. So even if you're not in Europe, there's a good chance you can still enroll in Istituto Marangoni outside of the continent.
Cheapest Fashion Schools in Europe for International Students
The best fashion schools in Europe are notorious for their extremely high tuition fees, so there isn't necessarily a
cheap school among them. With that said, the likes of Istituto Marangoni, Polimoda, Central Saint Martins, and the London College of Fashion offer short courses that are way more affordable than their undergraduate and postgraduate programs. You'd do well to visit their websites and/or contact them directly to learn more.
Istituto Marangoni is a fashion beginner's best friend. Though it's a famous and fairly prestigious school in the industry, it's also the most accessible (at least among the schools on this list). It helps that the institution has established campuses in many cities around the world. Its official headquarters and first campus is in
Milan, but it's no different compared to its locations in Paris, London, Firenze, Dubai, and Miami. The former, however, serves as the
best fashion school in Milan. It offers an extensive array of short courses, undergraduate programs, and postgraduate programs that teach various parts of the industry.
Address: Via Cerva, 24, 20122 Milano MI, Italy
Best Degrees/Programs: Fashion Design, Fashion & Luxury Brand Management, Fashion Buying & Merchandising, Fashion Communications & Digital Media
Tuition Fee: €17,800.00 to €23,000.00 per year
When talking about “the best fashion school in Europe,” London's Central Saint Martins is never too far from the conversation. How could it not be when it has produced some of the
best British fashion designers the industry has ever seen? Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Phoebe Philo, and Stella McCartney are just some of its most prominent graduates. Any aspiring designer would dream to follow in their footsteps! And you'll be one step closer to that if you enroll in Central Saint Martins, the undisputed best fashion school in
London. To be trained like these legendary designers is a luxury only a privileged few would get.
Address: Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA, United Kingdom
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design, Graduate Diploma Fashion, Master of Art in Fine Art
Tuition Fee: £9,000.00 to £25,970.00 per year
The French fashion industry is governed by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Only they get to say which designer or brand deserves to bear the
haute couture title and they have the law to back them up too. So if you want to work in
Paris, one of your best bets is to enroll in École De La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the haute couture federation's official educational institution. Established in 1927, the school has produced some of the most prolific designers the world has ever seen, including Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, and Valentino Garavani.
Address: 119 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris, France
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, Master of Arts in Fashion Design, Fashion Styling Workshop
Tuition Fee: €13,050.00 to €14,400.00 per year
No one can blame you if you haven't heard about the Royal Academy of Fine Arts before. The school is located in
Antwerp, Belgium, after all. The fact that it's not in any of the major fashion capitals is already why it gets less attention than most of the higher education institutions on this list. Nevertheless, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts remains one of the best fashion schools in Europe. Its fashion design programs include extensive courses that will truly train you to be a bonafide designer. Just ask Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, or Haider Ackermann!
Address: Blindestraat 35, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, Bachelor of Arts in Costume Design
Tuition Fee: €967.00 per year for Non-EU Students and €238.00 per year for EU Students
While it may not be as prominent as Central Saint Martins, the London College of Fashion is still one of the
most prestigious fashion schools in London. What sets it apart from the CSM is that it offers many undergraduate and postgraduate programs beyond design. Here, you can learn about running a fashion business, managing a luxury brand, dipping your toes in styling, or even studying to become a fashion journalist. The London College of Fashion understands that fashion is a complex industry with many facets, so they teach students to prepare for practically everything.
Address: 05 Carpenters Rd, London E20 2AR, United Kingdom
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Marketing, Master of Art in Fashion Marketing, Master of Art in Fashion Design Management
Tuition Fee: Around £9,000.00 per year
Let's go back to Paris for this next one. Esmod is perhaps the oldest
fashion school in Paris, as well as one of its most prestigious. Established in 1841, it has taught fashion for more than a century now. The fact that it's still operating is itself a testament to its indelible legacy and impressive longevity. But what is it about Esmod that makes it one of the best fashion schools in Europe? Its adaptability. Though the school itself is deeply rooted in its traditions, it has evolved over time, embracing the various changes both the craft and the industry have experienced over the years.
Address: 12 Rue Catherine de la Rochefoucauld, 75009 Paris, France
Best Degrees/Programs: Fashion Design, Creative Director Postgraduate Program, Luxury Management, and Fashion Communications
Tuition Fee: €12,355.00 to €16,285.00 per year
Much like Antwerp's Royal College of Fine Arts, Polimoda barely gets any attention as far as Europe's best fashion schools go. The institution is located in Florence, after all, not in Milan, the Italian fashion capital. Most fashion aspirants would prefer to work in the major fashion capitals since it'll be easier for them to get into the industry when they're already there. Nevertheless, Polimoda still deserves recognition too. The school offers intricate programs that don't just teach fashion design but also train its students to be proper directors of fashion brands.
Address: Via Curtatone, 1, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Atelier Design, Master of Fine Arts in Collection Design, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Direction
Tuition Fee: €18.000.00 per year
If you thought Antwerp and Florence were far from fashion capitals, what more Düsseldorf, Germany? Berlin is perhaps the closest thing Germany has to a fashion city, especially since it's known for its unique style, but it still pales in comparison to the influence that Paris, London, and Milan have. Thus, Düsseldorf's Fashion Design Institute is expectedly ignored by those who want to study fashion. It also doesn't help that it's a pricey school too, with a tuition fee of about €24,000.00 per year. So, is it worth studying here? Yes! It's the best fashion school in Germany, beloved for its extensive undergraduate Fashion Design program and postgraduate Fashion Management & Marketing programs.
Address: Kölner Landstraße 423 A, 40589 Düsseldorf, Germany
Best Degrees/Programs: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, Master of Arts in Fashion Design, Master of Arts in Fashion Marketing
Tuition Fee: Around €24,000.00 per year
The best fashion schools in Europe are also some of the most prestigious institutions in the global fashion industry. It helps that they're located in the most influential fashion capitals like Paris, London, and Milan. Not to mention cities like Antwerp and Düsseldorf too.
