15 Fashion Programs for High School Students
Exploring fashion doesn’t have to wait until college. You can begin now by enrolling in short-term programs that offer a realistic look into the industry. Fashion programs for high school students often combine hands-on learning with behind-the-scenes insight into how the field actually works. These experiences allow you to develop practical skills, gain industry exposure, and connect with professionals.
What will I do in a fashion program in high school?
For students interested in design, business, sustainability, media, or merchandising, these programs can help narrow interests and shape future academic choices. However, with so many options out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth your time.
That’s why we’ve carefully compiled a list of the top 15 fashion programs for high school students, focusing on those that offer meaningful learning, credible instruction, and real-world context.
P.S. If you're interested in the creative side more broadly, 14 Paid Art and Design Internships for High School Students is worth checking out — a lot of those programs overlap with fashion and visual design. And 11 Free Architecture Internships for High School Students is a good read if you're drawn to the spatial and design side of creative fields.
15 Fashion Programs for High School Students
1. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) : High School Spring 10-Day Courses
Location: FIT, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: $550 per 10-day class
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: February 21, 28; March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 11, 18, 25; and May 2
Application deadline: February 12
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12
FIT’s High School Spring 10-Day Courses are short, focused pre-college classes taught by FIT faculty and industry professionals on the New York City campus. You choose a specific subject area such as sewing, draping, fashion illustration, styling, merchandising, or fashion trends, and spend the program building practical skills tied directly to that topic. Coursework is hands-on and structured to help you produce tangible work, including portfolio-ready pieces in design-focused classes. The fashion program for high school students also introduces how creative roles connect to the broader fashion industry, including merchandising, forecasting, and beauty-related fields.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program format; financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25%, with each company accepting 2-3 students per cohort. The upcoming summer cohort has about 100 students.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10–20 hours/week for 8 to 12 weeks.
Ladder Internships offers an 8-week remote internship where you are matched with a high-growth startup to complete a defined, real-world project. Depending on the company, your work may focus on media, marketing, finance, technology, or artificial intelligence rather than on fashion-specific design. You are supported by both a Startup Manager at the company and a Ladder Coach who helps you manage deadlines, communication, and professional expectations. This structure combines independent project execution with regular check-ins and feedback, giving you insight into how early-stage companies operate. Weekly sessions focus on transferable skills like ownership, collaboration, and presenting work clearly. The experience concludes with a formal presentation of your project to company mentors.
3. California College of the Arts (CCA) Pre-College: Fashion Design
Location: CCA, San Francisco, CA
Cost: Residential: ~$8,075 | Commuter: ~$5,615 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application deadline: June 10
Eligibility: Current high school students who will complete their sophomore, junior, or senior year by summer
CCA’s Pre-College Fashion Design program is a summer experience for high school students who want an in-depth introduction to college-level design study. You focus on one subject area for the duration of the program, earning three college credits while producing portfolio-quality work. This fashion program for high school students blends lectures, critiques, and extensive studio practice, mirroring how courses are taught at the undergraduate level. If you attend in person, the program also incorporates visits to San Francisco museums, galleries, and design spaces to place your work in a broader creative context. You may live on campus or commute, and both domestic and international students are eligible.
4. Immerse Education’s Fashion & Design Track
Location: London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4-10 students
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18
Immerse Education’s Fashion & Design track in New York is a 2-week residential program centered on understanding fashion through both creative and industry-focused perspectives. You participate in project-based learning, professional workshops, and site visits to fashion-related studios, showrooms, and workplaces across the city. The program includes individual career coaching sessions, where you receive feedback on your interests, goals, and profile. Coursework encourages you to analyze trends, business decisions, and design processes rather than focusing only on aesthetics. The experience ends with a presentation of your project or findings to industry professionals.
5. Vogue Summer School
Location: Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design, New York City, NY
Cost: Residential: $7,695 | Day: $6,195
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Residential: June 7-19, June 21-July 3, July 5-17, July 19-31 | Online: February 16-March 13, March 23-April 17, October 5-30
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 entering grades 10–12 or recently graduated
Vogue Summer School is a 2-week pre-college program based in New York City that introduces high school students to the fashion, media, and lifestyle industries. Courses are taught by professionals from Vogue and Condé Nast and cover areas such as fashion business, media, and styling. Learning extends beyond the classroom through guided visits to designer studios, brand headquarters, and industry offices. You study how editorial, creative, and strategic decisions shape the fashion world, with an emphasis on real-world observation. Upon completion, you receive a certificate and instructor feedback summarizing your work.
6. RISD Pre-College Program
Location: Providence, RI
Cost: Residential program: $12,495 | Commuter program: $9,595 + application fee (non-refundable): $60
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 27–July 31
Application deadline: Opens November 5
Eligibility: Open to students who have completed their 10th or 11th year of high school, are between 16 and 18 years of age, or will be 16 by October 1
RISD’s Pre-College Program is a 5-week, on-campus experience for rising high school juniors and seniors that follows a college-level studio curriculum. If you choose the Fashion Design major, you study the apparel process from concept development to construction, including how color, form, and proportion relate to the body. The fashion program for high school students balances foundation studies with major-specific studio work, along with critical studies classes focused on art and design thinking. You participate in critiques, lectures, and demonstrations, while much of your work happens independently outside class hours. Students have access to RISD’s extensive campus resources, including museums, libraries, and material collections. Fashion design students typically complete a garment for the final exhibition.
7. Parsons’ Summer Intensive Studies
Location: Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York City, NY
Cost: $5,610 + $265 university fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not listed
Dates: Session 1: June 8–26; Session 2: July 6–24
Application deadline: Session 1: May 8 (April 1 for international students) | Session 2: June 1 (April 1 for international students, May 8 for students applying for university housing)
Eligibility: High school students ages 16–18 (must be 16 by the start of the session)
Parsons’ Summer Intensive Studies is a 3-week, college-level program in New York City that awards three college credits. You take full-day courses taught by Parsons faculty, with an emphasis on studio work, critiques, and project-based learning in areas such as fashion and design. The program includes field trips to galleries and design spaces around the city, helping you connect coursework to professional practice. Both residential and commuter options are available, along with supervised evening and weekend activities. Instruction also focuses on portfolio development, which can be useful for future college applications. The overall structure is designed to reflect the pace and expectations of a Parsons undergraduate course.
8. School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Early College Program
Location: Online
Cost: $1,908 for the half-day course, $3,816 for the full-day course; merit scholarships or need-based financial aid are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; typically, 12 – 15 students
Dates: June 15 – 26
Application Deadline: Typically, until the classes begin
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their sophomore year and are between the ages of 15-18
SAIC’s Early College Program allows you to take college-level art and design courses either online or on campus while learning from SAIC faculty. In the fashion design course, the focus is on contemporary fashion concepts, research, and visual development rather than constructing finished garments. You learn fashion illustration, experiment with styling and draping, and study how designers use materials and references to communicate ideas. Coursework incorporates fashion history and documentation practices, helping you understand how garments function as cultural and visual objects. You also gain access to specialized resources such as SAIC’s Fashion Resource Center and the Art Institute of Chicago’s collections.
9. NYU's High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion
Location: New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York City, NY
Cost: $2,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 18 slots
Dates: July 5–25
Application deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students ages 15–18 entering grades 10–12
NYU’s High School Summer Art Intensive in Curating Fashion is a 3-week program focused on researching and presenting fashion in exhibition spaces. You study how fashion is interpreted as a cultural artifact by analyzing garments, textiles, and design within historical, social, and ethical contexts. The curriculum centers on planning a fashion exhibition, including research, narrative development, spatial design, and collaborative decision-making. Instruction is led by faculty from NYU Steinhardt’s Costume Studies program, along with guest speakers such as curators and exhibition designers. You also visit museums and fashion-related sites across New York City to study how exhibitions are created in professional settings. The fashion program for high school students concludes with a group-curated exhibition displayed in NYU gallery spaces.
10. LIM College’s Summer Fashion Academy
Location: LIM College, New York City, NY or virtual
Cost: $195–$275 per workshop (non-credit); $1,295 for 16-day credit course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July–August
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12; students must be 14–18 years old by the program start
LIM College’s Summer Fashion Academy offers short, pre-college programs that introduce you to the business and creative sides of the fashion industry. You can choose from week-long, non-credit workshops or a longer three-credit course, depending on your interests and availability. Course options cover areas such as merchandising, digital design, styling, branding, fashion media, and entrepreneurship. Classes are taught by LIM faculty and industry professionals, emphasizing how fashion operates as a commercial and retail-driven field. Programs are available both in person in New York City and online.
11. OTIS College of Art and Design’s Summer of Art - Fashion Design
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $2,690
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 7 - 31
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12
The OTIS Summer of Art Fashion Design course is an introductory, 4-week program that walks you through the full fashion design process. You study fashion history, textiles, sketching, pattern making, and garment construction while learning how designers move from concept to finished piece. The course focuses on hands-on studio work, including creating mood boards and translating illustrated ideas into wearable garments. You work with professional-grade sewing equipment in OTIS’s fashion studios, gaining exposure to industry-standard tools. Instruction is studio-based and mirrors the pace of a college-level design course. By the end of the program, you produce multiple pieces that reflect your developing technical and conceptual skills.
12. Pratt’s Summer Scholars
Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $395 per course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 7-18
Application deadline: First-come, first-served
Eligibility: High school students
Pratt’s Summer Scholars program offers a 2-week studio course focused on sustainable fashion and textile practices for high school students. In the Sustainable Fashion + Textile Exploration course, you examine circular design principles, textile recycling, and zero-waste approaches through hands-on projects. Lessons highlight how material choices and production methods affect environmental impact within the fashion industry. You explore upcycling techniques and develop strategies to make more informed, responsible design decisions. Classes are taught by Pratt faculty from the art and design schools, connecting sustainability concepts to real design workflows.
13. Banson NYC Fashion Summer Camp
Location: Banson NYC, NY
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students
Dates: July 26 - 31
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12
Banson NYC’s Fashion Summer Camp is a one-week, in-person residential program that introduces you to the fashion industry through direct exposure in New York City. The curriculum focuses on areas such as buying, merchandising, and showroom operations rather than design production alone. You visit design studios, showrooms, museums, and retail spaces to understand how different parts of the industry function. Scheduled activities include an assortment planning seminar, educational shopping trips, and a professional photoshoot. Students stay in a Midtown Manhattan hotel with resident advisor supervision, and programming includes structured group meals and evening activities.
14. FIT’s Summer High School 4-Day Workshops
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY
Cost: $440 per 4-day workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple week-long sessions in June and July
Application deadline: June 10
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 as of fall
FIT’s Summer High School 4-Day Workshops are short, intensive programs held on campus for students interested in fashion, design, and related business fields. Each workshop runs for 4 consecutive days and focuses on a specific topic or career area connected to FIT’s academic strengths. You participate in hands-on activities and introductory coursework designed to mirror college-level expectations in a condensed format. The fashion program for high school students is designed to give you exposure to both creative and professional aspects of the fashion industry.
15. TWU Fashion Camps
Location: TWU Denton campus, TX
Cost: $595
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 campers
Dates: June 9–13 and July 7–11
Application deadline: Not specified (Opens February 1)
Eligibility: Students ages 13–18
TWU Fashion Camps are 5-day immersive programs that introduce students to the fundamentals of fashion design and apparel construction. You’ll develop practical sewing skills while also working on projects related to fashion sketching, trend board creation, textiles, color theory, and design concepts. Teaching is led by TWU fashion faculty alongside local industry professionals, with undergraduate fashion students providing additional support. All necessary materials for sewing, design projects, and textiles are included in the program fee, along with meals and a camp T-shirt. The experience concludes with a mini fashion show and reception, where students present their completed work to family and guests.
Image source - Fashion Institute of Technology logo