Parsons is a private design school within The New School: the Common Application, an essay, a portfolio of 8–12 slides in any media, a four-year BFA, $62,348 a year. FIT is a public SUNY college: high school graduates enter the two-year Fashion Design AAS through the SUNY Application, and the portfolio, due by 1 February, consists of set design projects and photographs of garments the applicant has sewn; the AAS costs an international student $17,370 a year.
Parsons vs FIT: Two Fashion Schools in New York
Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology are fashion schools in the same city with opposite admissions logic and fees that differ several times over. Based on official pages, last reviewed September 2026.
Author The EDMONT editorial teamLast reviewed
| Criterion | Parsons | FIT |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Private design school, The New School | Public SUNY college |
| Entry programme | BFA Fashion Design, 4 years | Fashion Design AAS (2 years), then BFA |
| Platform | Common Application | SUNY Application |
| Portfolio | 8–12 slides, any media | Essay, 2 design projects, sewing project |
| What is tested | Technique and concept, experiment | Hand drawing with fabrics, and sewn garments |
| English | IELTS 7.0 | TOEFL iBT 80 (or 4 on the new scale) / IELTS 6.5 |
| Fall deadlines | 1 November (EA/ED), 15 January (RD) | 1 January (application), 1 February (portfolio) |
| Fees | $62,348 a year | $17,370 a year (AAS, out-of-state) |
Concept or craft
Parsons wants to see how an applicant thinks: the portfolio is open to drawing, painting, sculpture and video, with a description of process. The first year is shared by all students; fashion specialisation comes later.
FIT wants to see how an applicant makes: a sportswear group drawn by hand on figures with real fabric swatches, and two or three garments sewn by the applicant. From the first semester the teaching is construction, draping and sewing.
What this means for an international applicant
For FIT the key question is whether the applicant can sew. If not, preparing the sewing project takes most of a year. The school record also needs evaluating by a NACES member.
For Parsons the key question is the completeness of the American application: recommendations, school documents, the essay and IELTS 7.0. The difference in fees is roughly $45,000 a year, which for many families decides the matter.
Which applicant each school suits
- Parsons suits an applicant with strong conceptual thinking who wants a broad design foundation and can meet private school fees.
- FIT suits an applicant who enjoys working with material and wants practice from day one, or a family for whom a public college budget matters.
Parsons and FIT share a city but prepare students for different things: one teaches thinking through design, the other the making of clothes. Their portfolios are built differently, and the same submission will not work for both.
Each school in detail: what to submit, how the portfolio works, fees and common mistakes.Parsons School of Design
The second school in this comparison.Fashion Institute of Technology
Primary sources
The official pages of both schools used for this comparison. Last reviewed: .
- Parsons School of Design — How to Apply: Undergraduate Programs
- Parsons School of Design — Fashion Design (BFA)
- Parsons School of Design — Fashion Design (BFA) Curriculum
- The New School — New Students Tuition and Fees, 2026–2027
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Tuition
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Fashion Design
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Fashion Design AAS portfolio
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Deadlines
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Eligibility
- Fashion Institute of Technology — International students
- Fashion Institute of Technology — Cost of attendance 2026–2027
EDMONT / FASHION & CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Which of the two schools is realistic for the applicant
A comparison shows how the rules differ, but not which school suits a particular applicant. Tell us where they study now, the intended year of entry and a link to their work: we will say which selection model fits them and what to prepare in time.
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.