Fashion Design major
Fashion Design: courses, careers, and where to study
Fashion Design teaches the craft of conceiving and constructing apparel and accessories, suited to students who pair visual creativity with hands-on technical and production skills.
A Fashion Design major, usually a bachelor's degree, covers sketching and fashion illustration, pattern making, draping, sewing and garment construction, textiles and materials, color and design theory, and computer-aided design (CAD). Programs typically include the study of fashion history, trend research, and the business of fashion, and most culminate in a portfolio and a senior collection that students present to faculty and industry reviewers. Internships with design houses, manufacturers, or retailers are common.
Graduates develop, design, and produce clothing, footwear, and accessories, working through the full cycle from concept sketches and material selection to fittings and production specs. A bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for fashion designers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; a graduate degree is generally not required, and a strong portfolio carries significant weight in hiring. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2% employment growth for fashion designers from 2024 to 2034, and reports a 2024 median annual wage of $80,690 for the occupation.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Fashion Design maps to CIP 50.0407, Fashion/Apparel Design, within the VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional design of commercial fashions, apparel, and accessories, and the management of fashion development projects. Includes instruction in apparel design; accessory design; the design of men's', women's', and children's' wear; flat pattern design; computer-assisted design and manufacturing; concept planning; designing in specific materials; labor and cost analysis; history of fashion; fabric art and printing; and the principles of management and operations in the fashion industry.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What you'll study
- Fashion sketching and illustration
- Pattern making and draping
- Sewing and garment construction techniques
- Textiles, fibers, and material selection
- Color theory and design principles
- Computer-aided design (CAD) for fashion
- Trend research, history of fashion, and the business of fashion
- Portfolio development and a senior collection
Typical careers
- Fashion designers
- Apparel / Technical Designer
- Pattern Maker
- Textile Designer
- Fashion Merchandiser / Buyer
- Costume Designer
Typical salary range: $80,690 median for fashion designers (BLS, 2024)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Fashion Design. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.
Before you commit to a Fashion Design major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Fashion Design program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Fashion Design department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Fashion Design program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Fashion Design programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
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Marketing
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How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.