13 Prestigious Fashion and Design Internships for High School Students

For high school students interested in professional development, internships are a great way to build new skills and explore a field. You can observe industry practices, apply theoretical knowledge to tasks, and receive mentorship from professionals. These mentors can offer career guidance and letters of recommendation for your college applications.

Why should I participate in a fashion and design internship in high school?

A fashion and design internship allows you to work with creative directors or senior designers. You get access to a network of industry leaders and potential future employers. These roles offer valuable industry exposure, like observing the garment production lifecycle and assisting with professional photoshoots. You can create a professional-grade portfolio featuring projects more advanced than standard school assignments. Getting into a prestigious fashion or design internship is a powerful signal of talent and ability, which can improve your chances for competitive college admissions and future employment. 

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 13 prestigious fashion and design internships for high school students.

1. Ladder Internships

Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; financial aid available / No stipend
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies as per cohort; January (Spring), May (Summer), September (Fall), and November (Winter)
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks

Through Ladder Internships, high school students can directly collaborate with rapidly growing startups in a remote internship experience. The program spans diverse sectors, including technology, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting, offering you a wide range of industry exposure. Many participating companies are backed by Y Combinator and are led by founders with elite backgrounds at firms like Google, McKinsey, and Microsoft. Throughout the internship, you contribute to high-impact projects under the dual guidance of a start-up supervisor and a Ladder Coach. The experience culminates in a formal presentation of your work, with specific roles and opportunities listed on the program’s application form.

2. The Met High School Internship Program – The Costume Institute

Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~7-8%; 70–80 spots
Dates: Summer: Typically late June through mid-August (8 weeks); School Year (Spring): February 10 – May 29
Application Deadline: Summer: January 14; School Year: October 27
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 – 11 who reside in and attend a high school or home school in either New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut

The Met High School Internship with a focus on The Costume Institute is a prestigious, paid opportunity for New York-area students to explore the intersection of fashion, history, and curation. You dive into topics like fashion history, textile conservation, and museum management. During the program, you will assist with curatorial research, help organize world-class archives, and lead themed public tours of the collection. A unique feature is the "Teen Fridays" initiative, where you collaborate to design creative events for your peers. By working alongside top experts, you gain invaluable professional skills in research, public speaking, and technical archival handling.

3. Cooper Hewitt – Design Hive 

Location: Cooper Hewitt, New York, NY
Stipend: $2,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; typically 12–15 students
Dates: December 2 – May 19
Application Deadline: Generally late September
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in New York City

Design Hive is a paid design program where you explore how creative ideas become finished products. As part of a youth-led team, you will analyze design objects and learn the steps designers take from concept to execution. Weekly sessions are held at Cooper Hewitt and occasionally at off-site locations to expand your understanding of design in real environments. Collaboration is central, with group projects that encourage shared problem-solving. The program requires consistent attendance to participate fully in discussions and project work. 

4. Museum of Art and Design – Artslife Interns

Location: New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 10 interns
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer (Mid-July to mid-August)
Application Deadline: April 21
Eligibility: Rising sophomores and juniors enrolled in New York City public and charter high schools

The MAD Artslife Internship is a paid summer program for rising high school sophomores and juniors in New York City public and charter schools. Over the course of six weeks, the internship introduces you to various museum careers across departments, including curatorial, marketing, visitor services, and education. The first week focuses on orientation and team building, followed by collaborative work with museum staff and local designers. You participate in hands-on projects in the Artist Studios, including creating artwork and producing a podcast. Leadership training and public-speaking practice are built into the experience. Off-site visits to other cultural institutions expand your understanding of how museums engage communities.

5. Brooklyn Museum – Creative Practice

Location: Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Estimated <5%; typically 10–15 students per year
Dates: September – June
Application Deadline: Usually late July
Eligibility: NYC teens who are enrolled in high school as a sophomore, junior, or senior at the start of the internship

This internship provides you with hands-on experience supporting art classes while learning about educational roles in museums. You work with teaching artists to prepare studio spaces, assist with lessons, and interact with diverse audiences. Program activities include collaborative art projects tied to museum themes such as social justice and community engagement. You also meet artists and staff to understand different creative career paths. The internship is paid and emphasizes transferable skills like time management and public interaction. Participation helps strengthen your resume while contributing to museum programming.

6. URBN Internships

Location: Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: Competitive hourly rate, not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective (<1%); approximately 50–80 interns total across all brands and departments
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: November 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who can work onsite in Philadelphia

URBN, the company behind Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People, offers a 10-week paid internship for students interested in the fashion industry. You analyze current style trends, review consumer insights, and collaborate with creative teams on real projects. Most roles take place at the company’s Philadelphia Navy Yard headquarters, with some remote options available. You gain hands-on experience in their chosen fashion discipline while earning a competitive hourly wage. The program also helps you build leadership abilities needed in a fast-paced retail environment.

7. Parsons Scholars Program

Location: Parsons School of Design, Greenwich Village, NYC
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective (estimated <10%); 25–30 students per year
Dates: 2.5-year commitment starting in the spring of 10th grade and continuing through graduation
Application Deadline: Typically mid-October
Eligibility: NYC public high school 10th graders meeting income guidelines

The Parsons Scholars Program is a competitive three-year college access initiative for New York City public high school students interested in art and design. Over 2.5 years, you explore diverse topics including fashion design, photography, 3D modeling, and digital imaging. You participate in Saturday studio sessions, attend intensive summer courses, go on cultural field trips, and receive dedicated SAT preparation. Unique for its focus on social justice and racial equity, the program covers all costs, including tuition, art supplies, and transportation. You ultimately develop professional portfolios while gaining critical thinking, technical fabrication, and college-level academic writing skills.

8. Brooklyn Museum Apprentice Program (MAP)

Location: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY.
Stipend: First-year apprentices: $16.50/hour; Second-year apprentices: $17.50/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 15–20 students
Dates: November – August
Application Deadline: Early October
Eligibility: New York City high school student aged 14–19

The Brooklyn Museum Apprentice Program (MAP) is a paid internship that allows teens to put on the caps of museum educators by exploring the intersection of art, history, and design. You investigate diverse topics like decorative arts, textile history, and social justice within the museum’s vast collections. During the program, you will conduct curatorial research, design original lesson plans, and lead public gallery tours for diverse audiences. A unique feature is the focus on community activism, empowering you to use design as a tool for social change. You gain professional skills in public speaking, archival research, and collaborative project management.

9. MoMA’s In the Making Program 

Location: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive (estimated between 10–15%); around 15 – 20 students per cohort
Dates: Three times a week for 6 – 7 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: Typically, late May to early June
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 – 18

MoMA’s "In the Making" offers NYC students a studio to explore contemporary design through experimentation. The program covers diverse topics like architecture, wearable technology, and sustainable fashion construction. You engage in intensive studio sessions, meet professional designers, and participate in guided gallery tours to spark original ideas. A standout feature is full access to high-end digital tools and the culminating public exhibition of student work. By collaborating with working artists, participants sharpen technical fabrication skills, master 3D modeling, and build professional-grade design portfolios.

10. RISD Project Open Door

Location: Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Campus, Providence, RI
Stipend: RISD ID card, which grants free access to the RISD Museum, Fleet Library, and the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; roughly 50–70 students annually across its different sessions
Dates: Saturday Portfolio Program: Runs throughout the academic year; Summer Sessions typically held in July and August
Application Deadline: Early September
Eligibility: High school students who attend a Rhode Island public high school in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, or Woonsocket

Project Open Door is a college-access initiative for Rhode Island students aiming for careers in art and design. The curriculum explores diverse topics, including fashion illustration, architectural rendering, and sustainable product design. You participate in intensive Saturday studios, visit the RISD Museum, and receive personalized portfolio reviews from university faculty. Unique for providing free professional-grade supplies and transportation, the program bridges the equity gap for creative youth. You ultimately master technical drawing, conceptual thinking, and spatial modeling skills while preparing competitive applications for top-tier design colleges.

11. Whitney Museum "Youth Insights" (YI) Artists

Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY
Stipend: Free MetroCards for transportation to and from the museum and art supplies
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective; approximately 15–20 students per semester
Dates: Fall Semester: Typically runs October – January; Spring Semester: Typically runs February – May
Application Deadline: Spring: early January; Fall: early September
Eligibility: High school students who are residents of and attend school in New York City

The Whitney Museum’s Youth Insights (YI) Artists program explores topics like craft, consumer culture, and social justice. While not exclusively a fashion program, it allows you to explore wearable art and textile techniques such as airbrushing, knitwear, and mixed-media sculpture. You engage in hands-on activities like building satirical sets, conducting artist studio visits, and collaborating on a final gallery exhibition. A significant portion of the program is dedicated to "close-looking" sessions within the Whitney’s galleries. You participate in facilitated discussions with museum staff and your peers to deconstruct complex artworks.

12. RISD Pre-College (Scholarship Track)

Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Cost: Covered by scholarship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 80–90 students receive scholarship 
Dates: June 27 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors 16–18 years old | U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents | Family annual income typically less than $55,000

The RISD Pre-College Scholarship Track provides a rigorous introduction to apparel design, covering essential topics like garment construction, textiles, and fashion history. You engage in advanced activities like 3D draping, drafting custom patterns, and participating in high-stakes "critiques" that mirror professional design reviews. By the program's end, you master industrial machine skills and conceptual storytelling, leaving with a college-ready portfolio. While the program itself has a higher acceptance rate if you pay full tuition, winning one of the few full merit scholarships in arguably the number one-ranked art school in the world can be considered a major achievement.

13. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Pre-College Merit Scholarship

Location: FIT Campus, 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: The Merit/Financial Assistance Scholarship covers the full tuition / $60 stipend to purchase class supplies
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 15–20 students per class
Dates: Summer Session I: June; Summer Session II (Pre-College Workshop): July
Application Deadline: Typically, mid-April
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 10, 11, or 12 | Must have a strong academic record; many merit awards require a 3.5 GPA or higher | The SJC Scholarship is specifically for students who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC)

The FIT Pre-College Merit Scholarship explores topics like garment construction, trend forecasting, and fashion illustration. In this program, you will experiment with professional draping on dress forms and create pieces for a high-quality admission portfolio. You will learn directly from industry-active faculty in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. You will master industrial sewing techniques and digital design tools while developing the conceptual storytelling skills needed to succeed in a competitive creative environment. FIT’s summer program is easy to enter if you pay, but very hard to attend for free. Securing a merit scholarship here signals that the top public fashion school in the US has already validated your potential.

Image Source - The Metropolitan Museum of Art Logo