Design and Fashion Schools in Italy: Politecnico, AFAM Academies and Private Schools

There are three ways to study design in Italy, and they differ sharply in qualification, language and price. The first is a university: Politecnico di Milano's School of Design awards lauree and charges $180–4,480 (€157.04–3,943.04) a year for 2026/27, but almost all of its bachelor's teaching is in Italian. The second is a state fine-arts academy in the AFAM system, such as Brera in Milan: about $1,480 (€1,300) a year for non-EU students, taught in Italian. The third is a private school with ministry-recognised diplomas (NABA, IED, Domus Academy, Istituto Marangoni): English-taught, at roughly $19,000–34,000 a year.

Below: how the routes differ, how admission works for each, what goes in a portfolio, what a year in Milan costs and which mistakes to avoid. For the wider picture, see our guide to studying in Italy.

The three routes compared

A university degree and an AFAM diploma are different kinds of qualification, although both belong to Italy's higher-education system and the same visa procedures apply to both. Inside Italy, first-level diplomas from academies such as Brera are legally equivalent to a laurea triennale; Brera states this in its admission rules. Abroad, a university or employer may assess an AFAM diploma under its own rules, so decide what the qualification is for — a master's abroad, a job, or recognition at home — before you apply.

Politecnico di Milano: School of Design

The School of Design is the design faculty of a technical university. In the QS 2026 subject rankings, Politecnico di Milano placed 7th in the world for art and design.

Bachelor's

For 2026/27 the school admitted students to five class L-4 programmes:

Selection is by the TOLD test (Test del Design); no portfolio is required at bachelor's level. For 2026/27:

• Italian version: 90 questions in 85 minutes, two windows — 1 March–11 April and 12 April–31 May 2026.
• English version: 60 questions in 70 minutes, one window — 14 March–14 May 2026. English-test candidates compete only for Interaction Design.
• Content: geometry and representation, logic, verbal reasoning, history of design and art, and analysis of graphics and images; the Italian version adds an English section.
• Scoring: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one, with weighted sections.
• Registration: $40 (€35) through Politecnico's online services, open while test places remain.

Non-EU quota applicants take the same test and, once admitted, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and the visa.

Master's

The master's level offers more English: for example, Fashion System Design, Product Service System Design, Design & Engineering and Digital and Interaction Design are taught in English, while Integrated Product Design, Interior and Spatial Design and Communication Design are mixed Italian/English. The portfolio is the main selection criterion: under the School of Design's rules for applicants with an Italian degree, it is worth up to 50 points. International applicants apply online, and an English certificate is required even for Italian-taught programmes.

Fees depend on ISEE: $180–4,480 (€157.04–3,943.04) for 2026/27. Non-EU applicants with a foreign bachelor's and no scholarship pay the maximum. See our Politecnico di Milano profile.

State AFAM academies: the Brera example

AFAM (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica) is Italy's system of higher education in art, music and dance: fine-arts academies, conservatories, and dance and drama academies. State academies are inexpensive but teach in Italian and select by creative exam.

The Brera Academy in Milan for 2026/27:

• Bachelor's (triennio) fields: painting, sculpture, decoration, printmaking, set design, new art technologies, artistic design for business (Progettazione artistica per l'impresa), film, photography and audiovisual media, plus two programmes on cultural heritage and art education.
• Language: all listed programmes are in Italian; international students need at least B2.
• Admission: for 2026/27, exam registration ran online from 4 May to 22 June 2026. The exam costs $96 (€84.69) plus a $17 (€15.13) government fee; applicants upload a scan of a foreign school certificate with an Italian translation. First-year enrolment after passing was due by 23 September 2026, with a surcharge from $57 (€50) after that.
• Attendance: in person only, with at least 80% attendance required.
• Fees: non-EU students living abroad pay $1,480 (€1,300) a year, plus $215 (€190) regional tax and $18 (€16) stamp duty.

With B2 Italian, an academy is the lowest-cost route into art education. Without it, starting there is risky: exams and teaching are in Italian from day one.

Private design and fashion schools

Many programmes at these schools are AFAM academic diplomas that the Ministry has authorised them to award; some also offer foreign partner degrees. Teaching is in English, groups are smaller and industry projects are frequent. Of the three routes, this is the most expensive.

Figures come from the schools' official 2026/27 price lists and exclude housing, materials and trips. NABA's 2026/27 fee page labels the non-EU figure as 2025/26, so check it against your contract before paying. IED has a separate rate for residents of EU candidate countries (its list includes Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Turkey): $17,940 (€15,800) a year. Portfolio-based scholarships exist: NABA offered European students up to $6,810 (€6,000), and Domus Academy up to $5,680 (€5,000) for master's programmes. Conditions and eligible countries change with each call.

Other cities and schools worth considering

Milan is not the only hub. This guide gives figures only for schools whose price lists and rules we checked, but the field is wider:

• Florence: private fashion schools Polimoda and Accademia Italiana, plus an IED campus;
• Rome: the private academy RUFA (Rome University of Fine Arts), NABA and IED campuses, and the state Academy of Fine Arts;
• Turin: Politecnico di Torino with design programmes, the private IAAD institute and an IED campus;
• Venice: Iuav, a state university specialising in architecture, design and the arts.

Compare them on the same four points: which qualification they award (laurea or AFAM), the teaching language, the total cost including annual fees, and whether the programme is recognised by the Ministry (MUR).

The portfolio: what schools usually assess

Each school sets its own requirements, but selection follows a similar logic:

• Process over polish. Sketches, research, iterations and the reasoning behind decisions show how you think.
• A few strong projects beat many average ones. The school sets the number and format; each project should show the brief, your role and the outcome.
• Fit with the programme. Fashion design needs collections, silhouettes and materials; interior design needs plans, space and light; communication design needs identity systems.
• Format and size. Politecnico di Milano, for example, accepts master's portfolios as a single file of up to 20 MB.
• Authorship. Label team projects and state your contribution.

What a year of design study costs

The visa figure is the consulate's minimum, not a realistic budget.

Admission and visa for non-EU applicants

1. Check you have 12 years of schooling. A bachelor's or first-level academic diploma requires a school certificate after 12 years; with 11, you need a foundation year or a year of university at home.
2. Choose a route and its calendar. Politecnico's TOLD runs in spring; registration for Brera's 2026/27 entrance exams closed on 22 June 2026; private schools have several intakes a year — Marangoni, for example, starts in September and January.
3. Prepare your portfolio and language. An English certificate for English-taught programmes; at least B2 Italian for Italian-taught ones.
4. File a Universitaly pre-enrolment. The procedure is the same for universities, AFAM academies and private schools with recognised diplomas. From 2026/27, institutions can approve no more pre-enrolments than their non-EU places plus 20%.
5. Apply for the visa. For degrees and academic diplomas: by 30 November 2026 for 2026/27 and by 31 October 2027 for 2027/28. Foundation courses and master programmes have no fixed deadline, but the visa application must be filed no later than the start of classes. Institutions may set an earlier date.

The university decides on admission, the Italian consulate on the visa, and the regional agency or foundation on grants; one decision does not guarantee another.

Which route fits your goal

Common mistakes

• Assuming every diploma is assessed the same way abroad. Private schools and academies award AFAM academic diplomas, not lauree. First-level diplomas from state academies such as Brera are equivalent to a laurea triennale in Italy, but a foreign master's programme or authority at home may treat them differently; check before you apply.
• Not checking the language at Politecnico. Only one of the School of Design's five bachelor's programmes is in English.
• Missing the spring test. The English TOLD window for 2026/27 closed on 14 May 2026.
• Comparing only the annual fee. Private schools may charge an enrolment fee every year, and fees can rise annually, as at NABA.
• A portfolio of finished pieces with no process. Admissions panels assess thinking, not just the final image.
• Filing pre-enrolment late. The quota-plus-20% cap applies to academies and private schools too.

Choosing a city? See universities in Milan and universities in Rome, or our overview of universities in Italy for international students. Istituto Marangoni also teaches in Paris; see our Istituto Marangoni France profile.

FAQ

Sources

• Politecnico di Milano — School of Design call for admission 2026/27
• Politecnico di Milano — School of Design master's admission guide
• Politecnico di Milano — requirements for applicants with foreign qualifications
• Politecnico di Milano — fees 2026/27
• Politecnico di Milano — figures and subject rankings
• Brera Academy — bachelor's entrance exams
• Brera Academy — fees for non-EU students
• NABA — bachelor's fees and scholarships
• IED — Italy undergraduate price list 2026/27
• Domus Academy — fees and scholarships
• Istituto Marangoni — Fashion Design & Accessories
• Universitaly — procedures for international students, 2026/27 and 2027/28
• Residenze Polimi — rates

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1355), rounded.

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