Colorado State University’s apparel design, merchandising program earns high rankings

Fashion-Schools.org has ranked Colorado State University’s Department of Design and Merchandising in the upper echelon of fashion design and merchandising programs in the nation.

The website ranked the CSU department ninth in the country in the fashion merchandising category and 16th nationally for fashion design. CSU was ranked second in the Southwest region in both fields.

“We are thrilled to be recognized among the top programs in the country for design and merchandising,” said Nancy Miller, head of the Department of Design and Merchandising. “CSU has a long history of excellence in design and merchandising, with many of our graduates positioned globally in apparel product development, sourcing, management and marketing.”

According to Fashion-Schools.org President Brad Prescott, the 2014 rankings were based on academic reputation; admission selectivity; geographic location; depth and breadth of the program and faculty; and value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness.

“This year we evaluated close to 200 programs over a five-month period, utilizing both school surveys and publicly available information,” he said. “Our goal is to be the authority resource for young people aspiring to a career in fashion.”

This is the second year the organization has issued its rankings.

Program highlights identified by Fashion-Schools.org include participation in special projects with the Denver Mart, participation in the Textile and International Apparel Association Fashion Show, and internship opportunities with famous designers and brands.

“Betsy Johnson, Diane Von Furstenberg, Miss Sixty, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Ralph Lauren are just a few," the organization’s website states."Study Abroad experiences and internships are also on the menu — and they are highly recommended. Past locations include Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris, Rome, Venice, Chile, New Zealand, and more. Paris, Rome, and Venice are just a few of the world’s most celebrated fashion capitals.”

Fashion-Schools.org also notes that the CSU fashion program received the first Award for Excellence given by the American Textile Manufacturers Institute.

Miller discussed the department in a 2013 interview with Fashion-Schools.org; that interview is available at http://bit.ly/1mZ3T1C.

The Department of Design and Merchandising is in the College of Health and Human Sciences at CSU. See http://chhs.dm.colostate.edu for more information.

-30-