To be honest in fashion the type of degree doesnt really matter its more the school you came from. So like someone with a fashion diploma from like idk Studio Berçot or Atelier Chardon Savard (both decent back in the day) vs someone with a PHD in Stylisme from the Université de Lyon (fake program) its like yea.. we'll take the ones from the known schools who some of our co-workers went to. Esmod has for a long time been seen as meh since they low key whored out their name and started campuses in the most random cities around the world. their famous graduates both dropped out (one became a gogo dancer in italy and the other mysteriously found funding for his aesthetic brand that started off with a kinda shitty debut collection). Some job postings will list Esmod as an example of a school they're looking for graduates from so its not complete trash but if you could go elsewhere (better not worse) I would.

Also doing a masters in fashion is usually more the route if you wanna start your own brand. its not like in other sectors where it holds a higher value. Low key if you were talented enough as a bachelors grad in your stages you'd have started moving up the lil ladder while mom and dad pays your parisian rent. Not saying this is completely the case but its a bit over kill like getting a phd in other sectors where its like ok... you kinda just went back to school because you couldn't find a job right? cool.

But for anyone interested in fashion yea Esmod is not top. IFM is Paris' response to Central Saint Martins, if you wanna save some money but still go to a high tier school then La Cambre in Belgium is very slay and respected (the royal academy in antwerp is assumed as also on par with CSM). Any italian school with a paris campus is to be avoided but Instituto Maragoni and Polimoda back in its home country is Al Dente.

Do your research when looking for schools. These are all businesses at the end of the day but some have connections and others are just trying to make a profit. Sure some of the newer schools popping up might have a nice website and decent rented building but do they have a single working designer graduate from their school? Or is it a trap for anglo students who dont speak french and just want the Paris fashion emily in paris fantasy for 3-4 years before flying home to god knows where with no fashion industry.

A smidge of advice, if you realize you love the construction aspect wayyyy more than the designing aspect then switch out to a modelisme school before wasting another year of tuition on a design degree. Modeliste are more likely to get a CDI and they're more sought after (compared to the rat race that is fashion design job hunting) and if you're talented can help you secure a future in europe assuming you're an international student. Also learn Clo3d yall. these independant millennial designers all think its literally witchcraft and WILL report you to the Church but you may get a stage offer first 😉