Two SF Programs Surged in the 2014 Fashion School Rankings

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Two of the world's top fashion schools are based right here in San Francisco, according to Fashionista. Both Academy of Art University and California College of Art made the cut in the website's annual ranking of the 50 best programs. In compiling the list, Fashionista looked at factors like tuition, job placement, student and alumni feedback, faculty, and fame. (Yes, famous alum can help boost a school's ranking.)

Both Bay Area programs were listed in the Fashionista rankings last year, and earned higher spots in 2014. California College of Art was number 36 last year; this year, it jumps 6 spots to number 30. Academy of Art University enjoyed an even more impressive bump. In 2013, AAU was number 38. This year, it rose 17 spots to number 21.

Inevitably, we receive some kind of "NYC design rules, SF drools" comment every time we publish a piece about local design schools, so let's just point out what the haters will tell us: There are three NYC schools —Parsons (#3), FIT (#6), and Pratt (#18) ranked above either of the Bay Area schools. Yes, we saw that, too.

Altogether, 19 American schools made the top 50 list. Fashionista explains that the rankings take into consideration that most of the site's readers are based in the U.S., (i.e. the list favors American schools). With that in mind, it's noteworthy that six London programs made the cut —including the ever-popular and prestigious Central St. Martins, ranked first. Four London schools, (Central St. Martins, London College of Fashion, Kingston University, and Royal College of Art), made the top ten. New York, arguably our domestic design capital, had four programs on the list, and only one school in the top ten.

Given the pub's disclosed preference for American schools, it sounds like London design schools are killing it.

· The Top 50 Fashion Schools in the World: 2014 Edition [Fashionista]
· Academy of Art University [Official Site]
· California College of Art [Official Site]