NABA and IED both run three-year Fashion Design programmes in Milan that lead to a MUR-recognised first-level academic award in the Italian AFAM sector (Higher Education in Art, Music and Dance under the Ministry of University and Research). Both accept either a personal portfolio (a curated set of your own creative work) or a set project / project assignment defined by the school. The useful comparison is not “who is better,” but which selection model, intake calendar, language track and document timeline fit the applicant.
On NABA, BA selection is a distance evaluation: artistic statement (max 500 words) plus a Fashion Design project (three subjects, three mini projects) or a portfolio of five to ten projects. The A.Y. 2027/28 form promises feedback within ten working days (the public test page may still say five). No interview appears on the published undergraduate test steps. For students not resident in the EU, October 2027 total yearly fees are €22,750 in that form.
On IED, after advisor contact you apply via the portal; the school evaluates qualifications, a portfolio or one of four project briefs (max three slides), and language, then holds an admission interview. Work is scored out of 100 on ten criteria (0–10 each). Language: at least B1 at admission, B2 by 31 May of year one. Non-EU / non-EEA undergraduates: Italy pricelist A.Y. 2027/2028 lists €21,800 (€2,500 + €19,300) plus €190 regional tax for First Level Academic Diplomas.
Not listed on the undergraduate distance-evaluation steps
Yes — admission interview after the work; confirmation follows positive assessment of qualifications, work and interview (and language)
Language (English track)
IELTS 5.5 or equivalent (certificate timing and consular component rules in the application form); Italian programmes: B2
At least B1 CEFR at admission; B2 by 31 May of year one. From 1 July of the application year, enrolment is reserved for B1+
Fees (non-EU, last published)
€22,750 total yearly fees for A.Y. 2027/28 October intake (students not resident in the EU) — Application Form Rev. 30, 28/09/2026
€21,800 total year for A.Y. 2027/2028 non-EU / non-EEA undergraduates (€2,500 + €19,300); + €190 regional tax for First Level Academic Diplomas — pricelist last review 10/2026
Sticker tuition is not the full cost of studying in Milan. Living costs, document legalisation, travel and proof-of-funds rules sit outside these tables — verify before you compare “only the fee line.”
Deadlines and documents — toward 2027/28
Neither school publishes a single UCAS-style national deadline. Use the school’s own intake labels and, for non-EU applicants, visa lead time.
October 2027 and February 2028 (Fashion Design on A.Y. 2027/28 form; Italian/English; Milan/Rome — confirm campus language). Portal also open for February 2027 (A.Y. 2026/27) and October 2027
Milan Fashion Design page on verify day: October 2026 / January 2027 starts. A.Y. 2027/28 fees are published; confirm next autumn/winter start labels with an IED advisor when the course page updates
NABA UG Application Form A.Y. 2027/28 PDF (Oct 2027 / Feb 2028); admission.naba.it; ied.edu Milan Fashion Design page; IED UG pricelist A.Y. 2027/2028 (Resources PDF)
Application window / rounds
Apply via standard emailed form or online portal; register for the distance admission test when materials are ready. No single public “round 1 / round 2” calendar on the EN admission-test page — places and document readiness drive timing
Rolling-style process after advisor contact: portal upload → admission test components → enrolment. Official foreign-qualification PDF: enrolment deadline approximately September each year, places limited; non-EU students abroad strongly advised to complete enrolment by June/July for visa/ministerial steps
NABA admission test page + 2027/28 form; IED “How to apply” undergraduate Italy + foreign quals PDF (December 2025)
Personal digital portfolio or one of four project assignments (Options including sustainability / innovation / digital society briefs — max three slides)
NABA admission test EN; IED foreign quals PDF §2.3
Language evidence
English: IELTS 5.5 or listed equivalents; submit within one month before programme start (form). Italian track: B2. Conditional admission possible without certificate yet
B1 → B2 path as above; certificates ≤2 years old, or IED language assessment. Conditional B1→B2 rules and July cut-off for enrolment without B1 in the PDF
NABA 2027/28 form §Language; IED foreign quals §1.2
Interview / admission test
Distance evaluation only on published BA steps; result within 10 working days (2027/28 form)
Evaluation of qualifications + portfolio/project (100-point scale) + language + admission interview
Same sources; do not treat “no interview” as “no standards”
Core documents at application
Application form; passport; language certificate (as applicable); diploma or 12th-year attendance certificate; transcripts; photo; portfolio and/or project; artistic statement
ID/passport; school leaving qualification or attendance certificate; portfolio or project assignment; other items listed by qualification type (AP, A-Level, IB codes, etc.)
NABA form checklist; IED foreign quals §2.2
Schooling / recognition soft check
Form requires proficiency, NABA procedures, and addresses systems with fewer than 12 years of schooling before the diploma
For 1st Level Academic Diploma: upper secondary after minimum 12 years overall schooling (with listed supplements for 10/11-year systems, AP/A-Level/IB rules, etc.)
Process note only — not legal advice; final eligibility is the school’s
After offer (high level)
Non-EU October 2027 intake: €5,000 within 20 days of the admission letter (pre-enrolment €4,810 + regional tax €190), then tuition installment by 5 July 2027 (€17,750) per the form’s payment table — always re-read the PDF you sign
Pay enrolment fee (and regional tax if applicable), sign matriculation form; non-EU visa-seeking students receive enrolment documents for Universitaly / consular steps. Tuition payment timing follows IED’s enrolment instructions
No invented extra deposits; amounts only where the cited PDF states them
2028: NABA’s form already labels February 2028 for Fashion Design. IED’s Milan page still showed October 2026 / January 2027 on verify day — confirm later starts with an advisor until the course page or next PDF names them.
Openness against transparency
NABA’s test copy stresses motivation: gaps in prior preparation need not block admission if vocational elements are positively assessed. The process is remote and relatively fast once the file is complete.
IED publishes the scoring grid and uses the work as the basis of a conversation. Neither model is “easier”; they reward different preparation habits.
What this means for an international applicant
Italy’s twelve-years-of-schooling expectation for recognised first-level AFAM programmes is a planning fact for many eleven-year systems — foundation years or other supplements may be required. IED’s foreign-qualification PDF is explicit on AP, A-Level, IB and national-exam cases; NABA’s form likewise flags shorter systems. Build lead time for translations, legalisation or CIMEA routes where asked, and Universitaly for visa-seeking students.
Language is not a footnote. NABA’s English line is IELTS 5.5 (watch consular component rules). IED’s B1→B2 path needs months of work for some applicants; the 1 July enrolment reservation rule can block a place even after creative work is approved.
Which applicant each school suits
NABA often fits an applicant without a formal art-school background who can write a clear artistic statement, finish three mini projects or a focused 5–10 project portfolio, and who wants a remote decision without an interview.
IED often fits an applicant who wants the scoring grid, can deliver a sharp three-slide brief or a coherent digital portfolio, and will defend the work at interview — treating June/July enrolment as real if a visa is required.
Status and fee band are close enough that procedure, intake, language and documents should order the shortlist — not campus imagery.
For the wider map of school types (public universities, private academies, technical institutes) across Italy and beyond, see Fashion Schools & Universities Global (Lorenzo Manta).
Choosing by feed, not by procedure. Campus photos and student reels do not tell you whether you face a remote artistic statement, a 100-point grid, or an interview. Rank schools by selection format and city fit first.
02
Reusing a portfolio built for another country’s brief. CSM, Parsons or a U.S. art-school book rarely map one-to-one onto NABA’s three mini projects or IED’s three-slide options. Rebuild to the brief you are actually submitting.
03
Missing the language track or intake that matches the family’s timeline. English vs Italian, October vs February (NABA), October vs January (IED’s published Milan starts), and the B1/B2 calendar are timetable decisions, not afterthoughts.
04
Treating a “creative school” as having no academic checklist. Passport, transcripts, 12-year schooling evidence, language certificates and (for many non-EU applicants) Universitaly / visa packs still gate enrolment after a creative pass.
05
Comparing only the tuition sticker. Non-EU 2027/28 published totals sit near each other (€22,750 NABA; €21,800 + €190 IED), but Milan living costs and proof of funds change the real budget.
06
Leaving interview or advisor steps to the last peak weeks. IED’s process includes advisor contact and an interview; late booking compresses portfolio revisions and language tests into the same window as exams at school.
07
Ignoring visa and document lead time after the offer. IED explicitly advises non-EU students abroad to complete enrolment by June/July; NABA’s July tuition deadline for the October 2027 non-EU table is equally calendar-critical. This is process planning, not immigration advice.
Primary sources
Checked against official school pages and PDFs. Fees and dates move — re-open the linked file before you pay.
Which of the two schools is realistic for the applicant
A comparison shows how the rules differ, not which school suits one person. Share current education, intended entry year and a link to work: we can say which selection model fits and what to prepare — without promising admission.
EDMONT / admissions discussion
The applicant’s profile
Tell us which curriculum the applicant follows, the intended year of entry and the discipline under consideration: design, business or communication. That is enough for a first substantive reply.