Parsons School of Design

What Parsons School of Design does

Parsons School of Design is a private, nonprofit college within The New School university system, headquartered in Greenwich Village, New York City, with an additional campus in Paris. Founded in 1896 as the Chase School of Art and operating continuously since, Parsons is ranked #3 among art and design schools worldwide and is the flagship design institution of The New School. The school delivers undergraduate, graduate, pre-college, and online degree programs across Fashion Design, Strategic Design and Management, Art Media and Technology, and Fashion Studies, alongside continuing education. Core curriculum integrates creative-industry tools including Adobe's creative suite and 3D garment visualization platforms, with practical exposure through partnerships such as Bakermat Antwerp (textiles) and ICFF (materials innovation).

Parsons serves primary customer segments of undergraduate and graduate design students across its New York and Paris campuses, as well as pre-college and continuing education learners. The school also operates the Healthy Materials Lab, a research initiative focused on sustainable and biogenic materials, and runs programs such as the Disabled Fashion Student Program. Parsons Paris counts 275 students across 55+ nationalities, with a faculty of 18+ nationalities, and the broader New School employs 900+ staff members and 2,000+ full-time and part-time faculty.

Revenue mechanics for Parsons are characteristic of a nonprofit private university: tuition from undergraduate and graduate degree programs forms the core recurring revenue base, supplemented by grants and philanthropic donations from foundations and corporate partners. Recent grants include a $10 million award from the NorthLight Foundation to the Tishman Environment and Design Center and a $1.225 million award for the preservation of the Orozco Murals. Pricing details are not publicly disclosed, though the institution offers a financial aid guarantee and institutional scholarships. Distribution is multi-channel: undergraduate admissions through Common App, graduate and adult learner applications through the New School Online Application, with additional reach through online programs and partner platforms. The school's go-to-market relies on event-driven and community-led motions, including public programs, exhibitions, fashion events, alumni engagement, and industry conferences, supported by an earned-media presence through The New School Pressroom and an active social media footprint across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

Name

Parsons School of Design

Legal name

The New School

Website

https://newschool.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Parsons School of Design is a private nonprofit college within The New School, ranked #3 art and design school worldwide, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in fashion, design, and technology across its New York City and Paris campuses to a global student body.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Design and Fashion

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Design education
• Fashion design programs
• Art and design degrees
• Strategic design management
• Pre-college design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Programs: Parsons generates revenue through tuition fees for undergraduate and graduate degree programs, continuing education, and pre-college programs. The New School offers financial aid guarantees and institutional scholarships.
2. Grants and Donations: The school receives grants from foundations (e.g., NorthLight Foundation $10M grant, Capri Holdings Foundation gift to disabled fashion student program) and individual donations to support programs, scholarships, and research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Parsons School of Design is a private, nonprofit college within The New School that delivers undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, and pre-college academic programs in fashion design, strategic design and management, art media and technology, and fashion studies. Programs are delivered on the New York City campus and at Parsons Paris, with select online options, and are supported by industry partnerships, research labs (e.g., Healthy Materials Lab), and recruitment via Common App and the New School Online Application.

Product overview

Parsons School of Design is a college within The New School university system, not a product company. It offers academic degree programs across design disciplines including Fashion Design, Art Media and Technology, and Strategic Design and Management. The institution conducts research, hosts public programs, and engages in industry collaborations but does not offer commercial products or services as a technology company would.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (BFA/BBA)
• Graduate Degree Programs (MFA, MA, MS)
• Pre-College and Youth Programs
• Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Parsons ranked #3 art and design school worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Parsons Healthy Materials Lab partnered with ICFF 2026 to launch a new Materials section at NYCxDESIGN titled 'Material Innovations with Ancient Roots,' which explores regenerative, biogenic, and climate-positive material futures through exhibition, workshops, and public conversations.
• Tilting the LenscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Parsons School of Design and Tilting the Lens, a strategic accessibility consultancy, announced funding from The Capri Holdings Corporate Foundation to support the third cohort of the Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Program. This program provides accessibility-focused design education for students with disabilities.
• AdobeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Parsons School of Design and Adobe announced 'Not Generated,' a collaborative initiative that explores the evolving relationship between creativity, technology, and AI. The initiative examines the role of human creativity in an AI-driven world and is part of Parsons' ongoing engagement with digital tools in design education.
• Bakermat AntwerpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParsons Paris partners with Bakermat Antwerp, a textile shop and digital platform that strengthens the relationship between creators and the textile industry. Through this partnership, students in BFA and MFA fashion programs at Parsons Paris gain access to an enormous range of fabrics from various mills for use in their fashion collections. Bakermat provides high-quality fabrics, innovative 3D tools, and full transparency for sustainable and future-proof textile projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pratt Institute: Pratt is a NYC-based private design school with strong programs in fashion, industrial design, and architecture, competing head-to-head with Parsons in the NYC design-education market.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): RISD is the most direct US peer to Parsons — a top-ranked private college of art and design offering undergraduate and graduate programs across fine arts, architecture, graphic design, and industrial design, competing for the same students and faculty.
• Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT): FIT is a SUNY-affiliated college in NYC focused on fashion, business, and design — directly overlapping Parsons' core fashion-design curriculum and student demographics.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD is a major private nonprofit art and design university with fashion, graphic design, and UX programs, competing for the same pool of design students seeking a four-year degree credential.
• Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London): Central Saint Martins is Parsons' closest global peer — a London-based fashion and fine arts college that produces comparable LVMH/Prize-caliber talent and competes for international design students.
• Royal College of Art: The Royal College of Art is a leading UK postgraduate design institution with strong fashion, design, and humanities programs, comparable to Parsons' graduate and executive offerings.
• ArtCenter College of Design: ArtCenter is a Pasadena-based private nonprofit focused on industrial design, transportation design, and visual design — competing with Parsons for top design students in product and visual design.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC): SAIC is a leading private nonprofit art and design school in Chicago with broad fine arts and design programs that compete with Parsons for design talent across the US Midwest and internationally.
• London College of Fashion: LCF is a UK specialist fashion college within UAL, directly comparable to Parsons' fashion-design program and competing for international fashion students and faculty.
• Istituto Marangoni: Istituto Marangoni is a private Italian fashion and design school with campuses in Milan, Paris, London, and Florence — a European peer overlapping Parsons Paris on fashion-design curriculum and global student recruitment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/parsonsdesign
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thenewschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenewschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/TheNewSchool
• TikToktiktok.com/@thenewschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parsons-school-of-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parsons School of Design