NABA selects remotely. The applicant writes an artistic statement, then completes the school’s set project (three subjects and three mini projects) or sends a portfolio of five to ten projects. A decision arrives within five working days. The BA in Fashion Design runs for three years (180 CFA), awards a MUR-recognised first-level academic degree and is taught in Italian and English in Milan and Rome. For a non-EU applicant a year costs €22,250.
- City
- Milan, Rome
- Award
- First-level academic degree, MUR-recognised
- Length
- 3 years, 180 CFA
- Language
- Italian and English
- Selection
- Artistic statement + set project or portfolio
- Non-EU fee
- €22,250 a year (2025/26 rate)
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How selection works
- 01
The portal
Applications go through admission.naba.it, choosing the campus and the area. The application fee is paid there by card.
- 02
Artistic statement
Up to 500 words: what the applicant wants to become, why NABA, which media suit them, what inspires them and how life in Milan would shape their work.
- 03
The set project
For fashion: choose three subjects, build visual research and keywords for each, and develop three mini projects, one per subject: looks, accessories, sketches or technical drawings.
- 04
Or a portfolio
Instead of the set project, a portfolio of five to ten projects in separate folders, each briefly described.
- 05
The decision
A result within five working days. Where the language certificate, the diploma or the Declaration of Value is not yet available, NABA may offer conditional admission.
What this means for an international applicant
NABA states that gaps in preparation in particular subjects will not count against an applicant who shows enthusiasm and motivation. For a student without an art-school background this is one of the most open selection models in Italy: the set project can be done from scratch, without years of portfolio building.
The bachelor’s requires a Declaration of Value for the school certificate. Italy’s twelve-years-of-schooling rule applies to MUR-recognised programmes, so an applicant from an eleven-year system needs to resolve this before applying.
Set project or portfolio: how to choose
The set project suits applicants with little finished work: it shows how they research a subject and turn it into an image, and it reveals thinking rather than experience.
A portfolio of five to ten projects makes sense where coherent series already exist. Ten unrelated sheets are weaker than three considered mini projects.
NABA assesses attitude, creativity and project skills. The artistic statement is read with the work, so it should explain what the images show.
How much NABA costs
For applicants not resident in the EU, NABA publishes a bachelor’s fee of €22,250 a year, regional tax included. The page is headed 2026/27 while the caption of the non-EU table refers to 2025/26: check the figure before applying.
For EU residents the fee depends on family income, from €8,450 to €21,850. NABA also offers partial fee reductions based on merit and financial circumstances.
Common mistakes
- Writing the artistic statement like a university motivation letter: NABA wants to hear about the applicant’s media and about Milan.
- Sending a portfolio for the sake of volume when the set project would show the applicant better.
- Leaving the Declaration of Value and the twelfth-year question until the summer: the visa depends on them.
Who it suits
- An applicant without a large portfolio who is ready to show their thinking through the set project.
- Those who want a state-recognised degree and three years in Milan.
- If working with material from day one matters more, compare NABA with IED and Istituto Marangoni.
How this school compares: portfolio, set tasks, interview, language and fees at 13 schools in Italy, the UK, France and the US in the EDMONT Fashion Admissions Matrix.Fashion Admissions Matrix 2027