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Summary
Fashion Institute of Technology is a public institution that was founded in 1944. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 10,023, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 5 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Its in-state tuition and fees are $4,469 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $12,417 (2011-12).
The Fashion Institute of Technology is a State University of New York (SUNY) school that focuses on art and design education. Undergraduate degree options include Marketing for the Fashion Industries, Toy Design, Menswear, Fashion Merchandising, and Computer Animation and Interactive Media. Though the majors at FIT are specialized, students are also required to take liberal arts courses. Outside of class, there are more than 50 student organizations to check out, from the Break Dancing Club to the Model Workshop. Students can also get involved in the school’s athletic teams, which compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region XV.
The FIT campus is in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, where students can apply for university housing. Because there are not enough spaces for everyone, housing is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The school also assists students in finding off-campus apartments throughout New York City. Women make up more than three quarters of the student body. Many graduates of FIT have risen to the top of their respective fields, including notable alumni such as Leslie Blodgett, president and CEO of the Bare Escentuals makeup line; Fran Boller, apparel director of Nike’s Jordan brand; and Edward Menicheschi, vice president and publisher of Vanity Fair.
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The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is New York's celebrated urban college for creative and business talent. A State University of New York (SUNY) college of art and design, business and technology, FIT is a competitive institution with selective admissions and a reputation for excellence that provides a superior education at an affordable cost. Known worldwide as the premier institution for fashion and related professions, FIT has more than 40 programs spanning a wide variety of fields--from computer animation to direct marketing, toy design to international trade, and interior design to cosmetics and fragrance marketing. FIT offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees over 10,000 students studying full time, part time, online, and in the evening and on weekends. FIT's singular approach to higher education marries design to business and balances experiential learning with a core of traditional liberal arts courses, providing students with a global perspective, critical thinking skills, and the ability to communicate effectively. Home to a rich mix of innovative achievers, creative thinkers, and industry pioneers, FIT is deeply connected to New York City. Located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, the college is at the heart of the fashion, advertising, visual arts, design, business, and communications industries. FIT makes extensive use of the creative, commercial, and cultural resources of the city. Students gain unparalleled exposure to their field through an internship program that offers students opportunities at locations as diverse as Vogue, Estee Lauder, The New York Times, Donna Karan, Pepsi, Ralph Lauren Home, the U.S. Commerce Department, and the Guggenheim Museum. FIT's connections with a wide range of professionals provides students with frequent guest lecturers by industry leaders, field trips to board rooms and show rooms, and sponsored competitions that provide real-world experience. The institution's faculty is drawn from New York City's industry professionals, who infuse a hands-on teaching approach with expertise with creativity. The dynamic curriculum responds to the changing needs of today's competitive marketplace and FIT graduates become business pacesetters and creative icons. Successful alumni provide inspiration and opportunity through their participation as lecturers, industry critics, program advisors, and mentors. Each program has produced outstanding alumni: fashion designers such as Calvin Klein, Norma Kamali, and Nanette Lepore; award-winning Ice Age animator William Frakes, interior designer Tony Chi; Vanity Fair Vice President and Publisher Edward Menicheschi; and photographer Roxanne Lowit. An FIT degree is a bridge to a successful career and an international network. FIT offers its own fashion design and fashion merchandising programs in Florence and Milan and we provide students with other study-abroad opportunities in Asia, Europe, and South America, and Australia. More than one-third of student interns are hired by their sponsor companies into full-time jobs upon graduation, and the college's. FIT's diverse community of students come from 64 countries, 52 states and US territories, and 56 of the 62 New York State counties. The college boasts more than 60 clubs that contribute to a vibrant student life. The campus comprises numerous industry-specific computer labs, four residence halls, a spacious dining hall, athletic facilities, and a Barnes & Noble bookstore. The college is also home to The Museum at FIT, the only museum in New York City dedicated to the art of fashion, with of the world's most important collections of costumes and textiles. FIT is an accredited institutional member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1944 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | urban |
| 2011 Endowment | N/A |
Applying
When applying to Fashion Institute of Technology, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. The application fee at Fashion Institute of Technology is $50. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 43.4 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 43.4% |
| Application deadline | rolling |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | N/A |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Fashion Institute of Technology is 17:1, and the school has 39.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Fashion Institute of Technology include: Visual and Performing Arts; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences; and Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 85.5 percent.
Student Life
Fashion Institute of Technology has a total undergraduate enrollment of 10,023, with a gender distribution of 15.8 percent male students and 84.2 percent female students. At this school, 24.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 76.0 percent of students live off campus.
| Total enrollment | 10,223 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | N/A |
Campus Info & Services
Fashion Institute of Technology offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Fashion Institute of Technology also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Fashion Institute of Technology.
| Students who have cars on campus | N/A |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Fashion Institute of Technology, 47.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $5,405.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $4,469 (2011-12) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $12,417 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $12,307 (2011-12) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
