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<\/p>\n\n\tCostume design is not just about sketching a silhouette or sourcing vintage anymore. With viewers ever more attuned to details onscreen (and likely to nitpick online), today\u2019s designers must wear many hats: \u201cCostume design is research, it\u2019s character development, it\u2019s understanding fashion trends and fashion history, it\u2019s a little bit of everything,\u201d notes Oscar-winning designer Ruth\u202fE.\u202fCarter. Then there\u2019s the threat and promise of AI, which can\u2019t sew or source (yet), but can help\u00a0 with rendering and visualization of designs. The best training grounds are evolving to meet these\u00a0challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tThis year\u2019s list of top 10 schools highlights programs that continue to adapt their approach while holding fast to the fundamentals. As in years past, The Hollywood Reporter reached out to top designers, educators and industry insiders to help shape the list. Venerable, well-established programs dominate the roundup, holding their ground thanks to deep alumni ties, strong studio pipelines and faculty who know their way around both a script and a sewing machine. It\u2019s no surprise that familiar names appear again: These are the institutions that consistently produce designers who know how to deliver, whether on a soundstage or a Broadway runway.<\/p>\n
\tCalifornia Institute of the Fine Arts (CalArts)<\/p>\n
\n\tLocated just north of Los Angeles, the school offers costume design students the best of both worlds: access to the industry and the space to develop their own voice. CalArts\u2019costume legacy runs deep. Long ago, it was the Chouinard Art Institute \u2014 the early training ground for icons\u00a0Edith Head and\u00a0Bob Mackie. During the \u201960s, Chouinard merged with the L.A. Conservatory of Music to form CalArts, part of Walt and Roy Disney\u2019s vision for a school where artists of all disciplines could learn under one roof. That spirit still holds. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA and MFA grad $60,650<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Ariel Boroff (Mank, Violent Night)<\/p>\n
\tCarnegie Mellon University School of Drama<\/p>\n
\n\tCarnegie Mellon\u2019s esteemed costume design program combines conservatory training with opportunities in theater, dance, opera, film, television, video gaming and themed entertainment. Students are exposed to a broad mix of techniques \u2014 from classical illustration and draping to digital concept art and collaborative character development \u2014 often through cross-listed courses in CMU\u2019s School of Art, School of Design and the Entertainment Technology Center.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA $67,020; MFA $37,740<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Ann Roth (Barbie), Daniel Orlandi (Borderlands), Terry Ann Gordon (president of the Costume Designer\u2019s Guild\u202f892), Jake Poser (Law & Order)<\/p>\n
\tDavid Geffen School of Drama at Yale<\/p>\n
\n\tBased in New Haven, Yale\u2019s costume program offers a rare combination: proximity to Broadway and the creative intensity of a conservatory. A non-negligible perk: David Geffen\u2019s $150\u202fmillion donation in 2021 eliminated tuition for all degree-seeking students and funded a new home for the school and its partner, Yale Repertory Theatre. The three-year MFA blends artistic depth with real-world prep. Students spend time in the classroom and on productions, working closely with peers in directing, acting and playwriting.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition MFA tuition-free upon acceptance<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Donna Zakowska (Gringo),Tom Broecker (Saturday Night Live), Jenn Rogien (Russian Doll)<\/p>\n
\tNational Institute of Dramatic Art<\/p>\n
\n\tNIDA has carved out a distinctive place among the world\u2019s leading design schools. Unlike many programs that focus strictly on costume design, NIDA emphasizes training students as costume makers and supervisors \u2014 while still grounding them in core disciplines such as sewing, patternmaking and rendering. Small class sizes (typically six students a year) mean highly personalized instruction in hands-on specialties such as corsetry, tailoring, millinery, leatherwork, dyeing and costume cutting. Students gain practical experience by collaborating on fully realized theater and screen productions.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition Bachelor of Design or Bachelor of Costume $16,560 per year for three-year, full-time program<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Catherine Martin (Moulin Rouge!), Edie Kurzer (Picnic at Hanging Rock)\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tCostumes for a NIDA production of Frankenstein. <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of School<\/p>\n
\tNYU Tisch School of the Arts<\/p>\n
\n\tLocated in the heart of New York\u2019s creative mecca, Tisch\u2019s Department of Design for Stage and Film offers students the kind of access, training and professional community that few programs can match. Now, under the leadership of\u00a0Justin Townsend, chair and Tony-nominated lighting designer, the department is expanding its scope. \u201cWe\u2019re exploring ways to give our students the experience of designing for film in addition to theater and dance while they\u2019re still in school,\u201d says Townsend.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition MFA $76,646<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Paul Tazewell (Wicked), Brenda Abbandandolo Corea (Good Night, and Good Luck), Clint Ramos (Maybe Happy Ending)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DesignExhibit164-1_OPEN-EMBED-2025.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\tTisch graduate Hanxiao Zhang at an exhibit of student designs.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of School<\/p>\n
\tThe Savannah College of Art and Design<\/p>\n
\n\tAt SCAD, costume design is offered as a minor concentration through the School of Film and Acting and is open to both BFA and MFA students. This setup offers a solid base in design while keeping the focus on storytelling, character psychology and working across disciplines. One major draw? The school\u2019s massive production facilities, a magnet for both students and working professionals. SCAD also boasts an impressive masterclass program that brings some of Hollywood\u2019s best-known costume designers to campus. <\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA $42,165; MFA $43,155<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Anna Tringali (Hustlers), Lauren Driskell (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay)<\/p>\n
\tUCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019d be hard-pressed to find a costume design program with more industry access. With innovative classes, deep ties to Hollywood and regular visits from top working designers, the School of Theater, Film, and TV gives students a real-world head start. The Westwood campus \u2014 a few minutes from studios and production houses \u2014 offers opportunities you won\u2019t find in most college towns. Led by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the program balances technical discipline with creative risk.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA in-state $19,473, out-of-state $53,673; MFA in-state $39,072, out-of-state $50,057<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Allison Agler (Monsters), Maddison Carroll (Agatha All Along), Lauren Cucarola(The Pitt)<\/p>\n
\tUniversity of North\u202fCarolina School\u202fof\u202fthe Arts (UNCSA)<\/p>\n
\n\tThe costume program is one of several concentrations within the School of Design & Production at UNCSA, one of five conservatories on one campus. Productions pull all of them together. One week you\u2019re fitting a dancer, the next you\u2019re sourcing vintage pieces for a student film. There\u2019s no waiting around \u2014 it\u2019s hands-on from the start, and you learn by doing. Plus, Winston-Salem has an active arts community and an easgoing vibe that gives students space to focus. The lower cost of living helps as well. And with Atlanta and New York nearby, students stay connected to the industry without the chaos of a living in a big city.<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA$6,497 in-state, $24,231 out-of-state; MFA $9,696 in-state, $24,300 out-of-state<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Paul Tazewell (Wicked), Tricia Barsamian (Sirens), Kristen Mendez (The\u202fGilded Age), Andja Budincich (You)<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/UNCSA-Courtesy-of-UNCSA_LE_upscale_balanced-EMBED-2025.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\tTisch and UNCSA graduate Paul Tazewell, who designed costumes for Hamilton on Broadway and won the Oscar for Wicked.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of School<\/p>\n
\tUniversity of Southern\u202fCalifornia<\/p>\n
\n\tLocation, location, location. Los Angeles \u2014 and the entertainment industry \u2014 are an extension of the classroom at USC\u2019s Costume Design program, with the Fashion District nearby and major studios just a short drive away. The program recently added a hands-on course in costume crafts, diving into specialty skills like millinery, jewelry making and thermoplastics, while continuing its strong foundation in tailoring, draping and construction. USC also is one of the few\u202fprograms integrating artificial intelligence into its creative process. Students are encouraged to experiment with the medium for concept development and early stage research while still honing traditional skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition BFA $73,60<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Megan Guthrie-Wedemeyer (1923)<\/p>\n
\tWimbledon College of Arts<\/p>\n
\n\tThe school\u2019s ties to the British film and TV industry run deep. Renowned for its rigorous focus on historical costume (though it also excels at contemporary), Wimbledon offers two specialist pathways:\u00a0Costume Design\u00a0and\u00a0Costume Interpretation. Undergraduates study for three years, while MA students complete an intensive one-year program. The curriculum integrates classical construction techniques with imaginative storytelling and features courses in\u00a0corsetry,\u00a0prop making,\u00a0puppetry,\u00a0prosthetics and even\u00a0animatronics. A campus-wide renovation recently added new performance spaces, design studios and digital labs. The updates aim to keep pace with how the industry is shifting \u2014 and give students the tools to meet it head-on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tTuition $11,650 for U.K. students; $32,700 for international students<\/p>\n
\n\tAlumni Caroline McCall (House of the Dragon and Downton Abbey), Trisha Biggar (Outlander), Phoebe De Gaye (Belgravia: The Next Chapter)\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tSustainably made costumes crafted by students of the Wimbledon College of Arts for the Victoria and Albert Museum\u2019s Musicals Re:Made! showcase in 2023.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKristina Sarkisian\/Courtesy of Wimbledon<\/p>\n