5 Best Fashion schools in Alabama(Tuition&Scholarships)

The most interesting thing about fashion is the fact that it gives you the chance to create something new, something very creative; something totally different from others.

Fashion is such a broad industry and it is fun to be in. The industry on its own encompasses the manufacturing, distribution, retailing, advertising and promotion of all types of apparel.

The fashion industry is made up of four levels:

  • The production of raw materials;
  • The production of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, and contractors;
  • Retail sales;
  • and various forms of advertising and promotion.

In this article, you’ll get to know the fashion schools in Alabama and their tuition.

About fashion schools in Alabama

There are five schools in Alabama that offer different fashion degrees.

All five schools have undergraduate degrees; two schools have graduate programs for students that already have Bachelor’s degrees.

Tuition is generally very affordable in Alabama; the average cost is $6,127 per semester.

H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College has the lowest tuition cost in the state, at roughly $2,616 per semester.

The University of Alabama has the most impressive scholarship opportunities, as the average scholarship award is $9,982.

If you attend this school, you can apply for the Comer Foundation Scholarship in Fashion and Design. It is worth $2,500.

After earning your degree, it’s time to begin your career in Alabama!

Regardless of which type of fashion degree you earn, your potential employers come from the same fields: retail, fashion design, and marketing.

In Alabama, some of the largest fashion employers are Winston Retail, Belk, and Va Va Voom.

The current unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.1%, and it has been decreasing since September 2013 (BLS, 2013).

The salary you earn depends largely on your education and experience.

Alabama fashion designers earn an average salary of $47,040 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Marketing analysts, including those in the fashion field, earn an average salary of $58,600 per year (BLS, 2012).

Why you should attend a fashion school

Even if you feel you know everything in the fashion industry, there are a lot of other things which every potential fashion designer needs to have a basic understanding of.

Fashion schools have the ability to provide you with a lot more benefits than you can imagine. It is just above the classroom information and the skills that you will learn.

Most importantly, a lot of fashion houses and fashion jobs look specifically for individuals who have obtained a degree in fashion or who have attended fashion school.

This is because graduates of fashion schools are known to be dedicated, having gone through the rigorous fashion schools’ curriculum.

Also, many fashion designers attended fashion schools themselves, so they are more likely to look to their Alma mater and offer students the chance to dive into the field because of a sense of connection they might have.

Attending fashion schools in Alabama exposes you to the business aspect of the industry, giving you the opportunity to know what it feels like to be really in the industry.

Finally, upon completion of your program, the schools most times invests their energy towards ensuring that their graduates get established in the field and equally help them find employment opportunities that will help them walk their way up the ladder of success. You can check out the cheapest community colleges in the USA for international students.

List of Fashion Schools in Alabama

  • Auburn University(Auburn University,AL)
  • Bishop State Community College(Mobile,AL)
  • H Councill Trenholm State Technical College(Montgomery, AL)
  • J F Ingram State Technical College(Deatsville,AL)
  • The University of Alabama(Tuscaloosa,AL)

Auburn University(Auburn University,AL)

• Fashion Marketing
• Large Campus
• Urban Setting
• $7,872 Tuition Cost
• $9,971 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards

Auburn University(Auburn University,AL) trains its students to tackle the emerging global issues, rapidly advancing technologies and consumer behaviours that impact success in the fast-paced and dynamic fashion industry.

Their Apparel Merchandising Option provides students with a unique perspective on this competitive, consumer-driven marketplace.

A foundation in textile and apparel product knowledge and business fundamentals is combined with a focus on forecasting and interpreting consumer demand.

  • Auburn University
  • Auburn, Alabama 36849
  • Phone: (334) 844-4000

Bishop State Community College(Mobile,AL)

• Fashion Design
• Small Campus
• Urban Setting
• $3,270 Tuition Cost
• $3,094 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards

This is one of the fashion schools in Alabama that consists of four city campuses that are dedicated to serving the residents of mobile and Washington counties in the Southwest.

The College is part of the Alabama Community College System, the state-supported network of two-year community, junior, and technical colleges that serves the residents of Alabama.

Bishop State offers university transfer programs for students wanting to continue their education at a four-year school, or for those who seek to start careers right away, the College’s one and two-year career programs can put students on the fast track to rewarding jobs.

Bishop State instructors among other fashion schools in Alabama are unique because of how they keep in touch with labour-market trends and job requirements, so their students can be assured they will get the education they need for success.

  • Bishop State Community College
  • 351 North Broad Street
  • Mobile, AL 36603
  • Phone: (251) 405-7005

H Councill Trenholm State Technical College(Montgomery, AL)

• Fashion Design
• Small Campus
• Urban Setting
•1,560 to $2,616 Tuition Cost
• $1,926 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards

This is one of the fashion schools in Alabama that is structured to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to produce safe and proficient services.

In the program, students learn how to tailor and design apparel, identify and work with different types of textiles and analyze body figure types for design considerations. 

This is one of the fashion schools in Alabama that has programs that focus on implementing effective merchandising strategies. They offer the following:

Apparel & Designs Special Training Certificate 1 
Apparel & Designs Special Training Certificate 2
Apparel & Designs Special Training Certificate 3

It usually takes four years to complete a B.S. degree, two years to complete an M.S. degree and two or more years to complete a Ph D program.

  • Trenholm State Technical College
  • Department of Apparel and Designs
  • 3920 Troy Highway
  • Montgomery, AL 36116
  • Phone: 334-420-4352

J F Ingram State Technical College(Deatsville,AL)

• Fashion Design
• Small Campus
• Suburban Setting
• $3,924 Tuition Cost

This is one of the top fashion schools in Alabama.

Ingram State Technical College was established by the Alabama Legislature in the year 1960.

It is a fully accredited member of the Alabama Community College System and it serves only incarcerated students.

It is the third-ranked school in Alabama that has a fashion design program.

Their fashion program offers industry certification or credentialing, available at no cost to qualified participants.

Their tutors bring years of experience to their classrooms.

They are one of the fashion schools in Alabama with classroom and sewing studios equipped with the appropriate fashion tools and encourage students to hone in their skills.

  • Ingram State Technical College
  • Main Campus
  • Deatsville, AL 36022
  • 334-290-3242

The University of Alabama(Tuscaloosa,AL)

• Fashion Design
• Large Campus
• Urban Setting
• $9,200 Tuition
.$9,982 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards

The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, is a public school that offers a fashion program called Apparel and Textiles Apparel Design/ Fashion Retailing in the Department of Clothing, Textiles and Interior Design. It is one of the best fashion schools in Alabama.

The Apparel and Design program prepares students for entry-level work in the fields of apparel and textiles, which includes design, production, and management.

The curriculum teaches the conventional body of knowledge through studio classes as well as art and design history courses.

The University of Alabama is one of the fashion schools in Alabama with a fashion retailing program that is structured for people that are interested in fashion merchandising and management in the retail industry.

The option of taking additional coursework to complete a general business minor is open to students that choose to focus on international retailing.

The University of Alabama Offers two fashion related programs and degrees and they are B.S. in Apparel and Textiles Apparel and B.S in Apparel and Textiles Fashion Retailing.

The school has a total number of 362 fashion students and it requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a Senior Portfolio Review before students can join the program.

In the Fashion Retailing major, an internship requires a 2.5 GPA on a group of specified courses.

It takes four years to complete a B.S. degree, two years to complete an M.S. degree, and two or more years to complete a PhD program at the University of Alabama.

Supervised internships are available for students who have successfully completed 86 semester hours, although it is not really required.

University of Alabama design interns has worked for companies like Calvin Klein – dress division, Vanity Fair, and Anna Sui.

Retail interns have also been placed at notable organizations such as Coach, Seventeen Magazine, and W.

Students have the option of Italy, Japan, and China to choose from to attend summer study programs.

  • University of Alabama
  • Department of Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design
  • Box 870158
  • Tuscaloosa, Al 35487
  • Phone: 205-348-6176

In the end, deciding to go attend fashion design school can really change your future and put you in the best position to reach your full potential. Therefore, choose any of the fashion schools in Alabama of your choice and make good proof of it.

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