NIDA is pleased to share that for the third year in a row we have been included in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 10 Costume Design Schools in the world, celebrating our continued commitment to educating and uplifting the next generation of costume designers and makers. This list is established by leading academics and professional costume designers who assess institutions around the world based on a criteria of alumni success, curriculum, reputation and industry networking and opportunities.
NIDA remains the only Australian institution to feature amongst a cohort of highly regarded schools from around the world including, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, CalArts, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), University of Southern California (USC) and London’s Wimbledon College of the Arts.
Working in small classes and alongside experienced industry practitioners our students have endless opportunities to test ideas, take creative risks and bring their ideas to life in production environments that mirror real industry conditions. The strength of NIDA’s Costume and Design community is also reflected in our alumni network whose work can be seen across theatre, opera, film and television in Australia and internationally.
With applications for NIDA’s 2027 intake open until 28 September, aspiring designers and makers can take their first steps towards a fulfilling career in the world of costume for stage and screen at one of the best schools for costume and design in the world.
Explore NIDA’s Costume and Design for Performance programs and discover where your imagination could take you.
Gallery
Header image: NIDA’s 2026 student production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Simon Philips. Photo by Jacquie Manning.
Photo1: NIDA’s 2025 student production of Mary Stuart directed by Marion Potts. Photo by Jacquie Manning.
Photo 2: NIDA’s 2026 student production of The Bleeding Tree directed by Dino Dimitiriadis. Photo by Jacquie Manning.
Photo 3: NIDA’s 2025 student production of Peter Pan directed by Dr Benjamin Schostakowski. Photo by Brett Boardman.
Photo 4: NIDA and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s 2025 co-production of Orpheus in the Underworld directed by Constantine Costi. Photo by Julia Firak.
Photo 5: NIDA’s 2025 student production of The Royal Experiment directed by Lee Lewis OAM. Photo by Brett Boardman.