FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County

17590 Gillette Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • FIDM / Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising has been educating students for careers in the fashion and entertainment industries for over 40 years. Our goal is to give students the best college education possible while preparing them to launch their career immediately. The focused curriculum, talented faculty, and a global network of industry partners like Cotton, Inc. and Disney, give students the necessary skills to work simultaneously while earning their degree. FIDM has helped launch the careers of over 40,000 graduates, including famed designers Monique Lhuillier, Kevan Hall, and Randolph Duke, just to name a few. Nine graduates have appeared as contestants on Project Runway, including FIDM Instructor Nick Verreos and Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall. Our students and graduates are doing everything from designing sets for primetime television, creating costumes for television and movies, and designing clothing for Anthropologie and GUESS, Inc., to creating visual displays for Forever 21, creating logos and marketing materials for surf and sport companies, and launching the latest beauty products. FIDM offers several degree options, including a four-year Bachelor of Science degree; 20 creative majors, and an unparalleled Career Center with a database of over 19,000 employers and growing.

School Highlights

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County serves 64 students (92% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 6:1 is lower than the state community college average of 21:1.
Minority enrollment is 68% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 74%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 64 students
  • Private-state tuition: $29,930
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Student:teacher ratio: 6:1
  • Minority enrollment: 68%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County ranks among the top 20% of public schools in California for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 10 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County
(CA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Private for-profit
Public
Total Faculty
10 staff
312 staff
This chart display total faculty of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and community college average number of faculty in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County has stayed relatively flat over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 6:1 has stayed the same over five years.
The FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County diversity score of 0.79 is more than the state average of 0.71. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
64 students
7,900 students
This chart display the total enrollment of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and community college average number of enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
21:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and community college average student staff ratio of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
59 students
1,661 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
5 students
6,239 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of CA.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
193 students
302 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
59 students
1,646 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
54 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
5 students
6,288 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
10 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
140 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
n/a
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2017-18 school year data.
% Asian
14%
13%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Asian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
26%
45%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
5%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Black community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
32%
26%
This chart display the percentage of White students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of White community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
This chart display the percentage of Hawaiian students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2011-12 school year data.
% Two or more races
6%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
6%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
10%
4%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in CA.
Diversity Score
0.79
0.71
This chart display the diversity score of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the community college average diversity score of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
65%
30.56%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of CA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
1.92%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$41,800
$34,700
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of CA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The private state tuition of $29,930 is more than the state average of $21,083. The private state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
Private State Tuition Fees
$29,930
$21,083
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the private community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
84%
86%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$14,167
$10,376
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$5,500
$6,000
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
67%
89%
This chart display the percent admitted of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County and the community college average percent admitted of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County cost?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County's private state tuition is approximately $29,930.
What is the acceptance rate of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County?
The acceptance rate of FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County is 67%, which is lower than the state average of 89%.
What is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County's ranking?
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Orange County ranks among the top 20% of community college in California for: Diversity in US community colleges and Highest graduate earnings (10 years post graduation).

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 64 students
  • Private-state tuition: $29,930
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Student:teacher ratio: 6:1
  • Minority enrollment: 68%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Did You Know?

For Orange County, CA public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $1,182 per year for in-state students and $6,344 for out-of-state students. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

Orange County, CA community colleges have a diversity score of 0.67, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in Orange County, CA is South Coast College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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