Source: Hanna Puskarz/LCM

Global Fashion School Rankings 2016

London College of Fashion

London, United Kingdom

LCF provides one of the widest ranges of courses in fashion education, with over 70 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and 165 short courses. As a result, it also has one of the largest student bodies with about 5000 students across the BA and MA programmes. The college continues to expand its course offering with highly specialised courses and is a leader in fashion research covering areas such as sustainable fashion practice. Despite the scope of individual courses, shortcomings in business education and work placements have negatively impacted how prepared students feel for industry employment upon graduation. However, the school looks to be remedying that with the Fashion Business School that launched in 2015. Our student and alumni comments reflected conflicting opinions toward the school’s mode of teaching. While some students felt they did not receive enough support from tutors through their studies, others enjoyed the freedom and felt challenged to grow. In 2020, the college will move to a new state-of-the-art facility in East London, situated in the former Olympic Park.

Select Year

7th

Undergraduate, Fashion Ranking 2016

Full-time fashion students

4,522

International students

41%

Does not include EU students from outside of the UK

Student : Teacher ratio

20:1

Total student to faculty ratio

Tuition: Domestic/intl

$13k/$23k

Acceptance rate

22%

Graduation Rate

75%

Courses Offered

Undergraduate:
International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate in Higher Education), BA (Hons) 3D Effects for Performance and Fashion, BA (Hons) Bespoke Tailoring, BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories: Product Design and Innovation, BA (Hons) Cordwainers Footwear: Product Design and Innovation, BA (Hons) Costume for Performance, BA (Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion, BA (Hons) Fashion Business (Part time), BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising, BA (Hons) Fashion Contour, BA (Hons) Fashion Design (Part time), BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Development, BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Menswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Illustration, BA (Hons) Fashion Jewellery, BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism, BSc (Hons) Fashion Management, BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing, BA (Hons) Fashion Media (Part time), BA (Hons) Fashion Pattern Cutting, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography, BA (Hons) Fashion Public Relations and Communication, BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Production, BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Embroidery, BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Knit, BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Print, BA (Hons) Fashion Visual Merchandising and Branding, BA (Hons) Hair and Make-up for Fashion, BA (Hons) Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance, BSc (Hons) Beauty and Spa Management (Top Up)

5th

Graduate, Fashion Ranking 2016

Full-time fashion students

486

International students

58%

Does not include EU students from outside of the UK

Student : Teacher ratio

17:1

Tuition: Domestic/intl

$11k/$23k

Acceptance rate

31%

Graduation Rate

95%

Courses Offered

Graduate:
Executive MBA (Fashion), Graduate Diploma Fashion Management, MA Fashion Design Management, MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, MA Fashion Retail Management, MA Strategic Fashion Marketing, Postgraduate Certificate Fashion: Buying and Merchandising, MA Psychology for Fashion Professionals, MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion, Graduate Diploma Fashion Media Styling, MA Costume Design for Performance, MA Fashion Cultures, MA Fashion Curation, MA Fashion Journalism, MA Fashion Media Production, Postgraduate Certificate Fashion: Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism, MA Fashion Photography, Graduate Diploma Fashion Design Technology, MA Fashion Artefact, MA Footwear, MA Fashion Futures, MA Fashion Design Technology Menswear, MA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear, MA Pattern and Garment Technology, Postgraduate Certificate Footwear: Production and Manufacture, MA Fashion Media Practice & Criticism, Mdes International Fashion Production Management, MSc Cosmetic Science, MSc Strategic Fashion Management

Student & Alumni Comments

"I had a great learning experience, and many opportunities to work with the industry through competitions and assignments - which prepared me for the industry as a designer. The opportunity to improve as a designer were at hand and up to the individual to use the facilities and be responsible for their own learning."

Alumni

"Different from what I expected, students are left to their own tools. I am not happy with how little attention is paid to individual students. There should be more guidance and feedback so students can develop, not assessing what we've come up with for particular task without many teaching points."

Student

"It is a great experience with a nice chance to build your professional network. The academic programme is very diverse and combines both theoretical and practical modules, however, I believe, that more tutorials could be provided. All the facilities are just amazing. As a business student I still get access to all UAL colleges, including lots of creative workshops and labs."

Student

"Some great quality practical teaching, but the curriculum is lacking in some areas - I do not feel supporting skills in areas such as freelancing, networking, contract negotiation, project management, budget management etc were adequately taught or formally developed."

Alumni

"London College of Fashion is a very diverse, open-minded learning faculty where you are challenged to develop your own skills and focus on your very own talents/goals. At some points it could improve the way of approaching students and supporting them individually. However overall I am satisfied with what the school offers me as a learning experience."

Student

"Stressful, like any other fashion school. Would like better infrastructure and accessibility to work rooms. Really helpful tutors at the foundation level."

Student

Full Undergraduate, Fashion Ranking

The Business of Fashion's global fashion school rankings aim to provide an objective assessment of the top undergraduate and graduate fashion programmes around the world.

Full Graduate, Fashion Ranking

The Business of Fashion's global fashion school rankings aim to provide an objective assessment of the top undergraduate and graduate fashion programmes around the world.