Moore College of Art and Design

About Moore College of Art and Design

Moore is an independent art and design college whose origins date to 1848. Its institutional history is tied to widening access to professional arts education for women. The College’s current strategic direction retains that legacy while emphasizing preparation for work in the creative economy. A significant transition is underway: Moore’s admissions page says its governing boards voted to open undergraduate enrollment to qualified applicants of all genders beginning in 2027–2028, while noting that approvals were still expected as of August 2026. Applicants should therefore consult the live admissions policy for their intended entry year. The institution is small and specialized. Moore reported 490 students enrolled in fall 2025, comprising 95% undergraduate and 5% graduate or post-baccalaureate students. That official figure should be read as a dated snapshot rather than a projection for 2026 or 2027. The College operates as a private nonprofit and remains accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Moore’s main campus is at 1916 Race Street in Philadelphia. Its scale and subject focus create an environment centered on studios, critique, exhibitions and professional practice rather than the broad departmental range of a comprehensive university. Alongside degree study, Moore runs continuing-education and youth programs, but those offerings should not be confused with its BFA and MA degrees.

For Fall 2027 BFA entry, Moore evaluates the applicant’s academic record, portfolio, creative potential and motivation. Applicants submit an application, an official high-school transcript or appropriate transfer records, and a portfolio. The published portfolio standard is 8–12 recent works created during the preceding one or two years, with work accepted across media and styles. Film and Digital Cinema applicants may use specified motion-media, script or storyboard material, while Interior Design applicants may request the published essay substitution. SAT or ACT scores, an essay and recommendations are optional supporting materials under the current instructions. Moore says undergraduate applications are reviewed on a rolling basis while space remains. For the Fall 2027 cycle, complete applications submitted by December 7, 2026 qualify for the stated early-action decision schedule. Because different portions of the site also mention a December 8 priority date and associated grant, applicants should confirm the applicable date and benefit directly with Admissions before relying on either one. International BFA applicants follow the relevant first-year or transfer process and, when required, submit official English-proficiency evidence. The College requires official academic documents and financial documentation before issuing an I-20. Moore states that international tuition is the same as domestic tuition and that international applicants receive automatic merit-scholarship consideration but are ineligible for Moore or US-government need-based aid. Graduate applicants follow separate program-specific procedures.

Moore’s undergraduate offering consists of ten Bachelor of Fine Arts majors: Animation and Game Arts, Art Education, Immersive Experience Design, Fashion Design, Film and Digital Cinema, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design and Photography. Students begin with a shared first-year Foundation experience before developing a more specialized path. The College also offers minors, while Creative and Critical Studies courses run alongside studio work throughout the degree. According to Moore’s current academic information, roughly two-thirds of BFA coursework is discipline-specific and studio-based, with the remaining third in Creative and Critical Studies. This structure is appropriate for students who want sustained making, critique and professional development, but applicants seeking a conventional liberal-arts or STEM curriculum should examine the course requirements carefully. Exhibition opportunities include annual student presentations and a senior thesis show. Graduate-level study is much narrower than the undergraduate portfolio. Moore offers an MA in Art Education with an emphasis in Inclusive Practices, including a route combined with Pre-K–12 art-teacher certification. Its official graduate page also describes a post-baccalaureate certification option, which is a credential but not an additional bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. The MA curriculum addresses areas such as inclusive pedagogy, disability studies, curriculum development, assessment and research. The stand-alone MA uses a hybrid format with summer campus sessions and online fall and spring coursework. Moore does not list a doctoral program.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1848 and currently operates as a private nonprofit college.
• MSCHE lists Moore as an accredited institution with bachelor’s and master’s credentials in scope.
• Moore reported 490 students in fall 2025, 95% of whom were undergraduates.
• Undergraduate enrollment is planned to open to qualified applicants of all genders in 2027–2028, subject to the approvals described by Moore.

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organized around a compact urban arts community. Moore lists student groups spanning creative interests, identity and campus governance, including the Student Voice Council, Black Student Union, Cinema Collective, Concept Art Club, Moore Animation Club and Moore Scientific Illustration Club. The available organizations can change, so prospective students should use the current club directory rather than assume every past group remains active. The Galleries at Moore provide free public exhibitions and connect academic work with visiting and contemporary artists. Students also encounter campus traditions, talks, workshops and annual showcases. Support services described by the College include on-campus health services, individual and group counseling, academic advising and a campus response team. Moore offers undergraduate housing in Rittenhouse Hall, Sartain Hall and Stahl Hall and says housing availability is guaranteed for all four years. New full-time undergraduates are generally required to live in College-operated housing for their first two years unless granted an exemption. Commuter eligibility and other exceptions depend on the College’s published criteria. Rittenhouse Hall, opened in 2025, provides furnished apartment-style accommodation near Rittenhouse Square, while the other residences are closer to the academic campus.

Location & Surroundings

Moore’s academic campus is at 1916 Race Street in Philadelphia’s Logan Square area, along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This places students near major cultural institutions, including the Barnes Foundation, Rodin Museum, Franklin Institute, Free Library of Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences and Philadelphia Museum of Art. For an art and design student, proximity to museums, galleries and public cultural programming can complement formal studio coursework and provide subjects, collections and professional contexts for study. The setting is distinctly urban rather than a self-contained residential campus. Students should plan for city transportation, traffic and the everyday costs associated with central Philadelphia. Moore’s residence halls are distributed near the academic buildings: Sartain and Stahl halls are close to the main campus, while Rittenhouse Hall is approximately a seven-minute walk away near Rittenhouse Square. The latter is also close to shopping, public transportation and the Schuylkill River Trail. Prospective students should visit both the academic facilities and housing locations to understand how the campus functions across Center City.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Moore’s official 2026–2027 BFA cost-of-attendance table lists full-time tuition of $54,018, plus a $1,852 general fee and $266 technology fee. Its estimated first-year total is $81,622 for an on-campus student, $77,874 for a student living off campus and $64,328 for a commuter living at home. These totals include different housing, food, books, computer, transportation and personal-expense assumptions; they are planning estimates, not each student’s final bill. Health insurance may add a charge unless waived under the College’s rules. Applicants should compare an individual aid offer and net-price estimate rather than use the published sticker price alone. Incoming undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for institutional merit scholarships. US applicants seeking federal or need-based assistance generally need the FAFSA, while international students are not eligible for Moore or US-government need-based aid. Scholarship conditions and amounts should be checked for the relevant entry year. Career preparation is embedded in the BFA curriculum. Moore states that students in every major except Art Education complete a 4.5-credit, 240-hour internship, generally between the junior and senior years, supported by a $1,000 payment. Art Education majors instead complete a supervised student-teaching assignment. The Locks Career Center assists with internship searches, résumés, correspondence, interviews and alumni career support. Moore reports that 91% of surveyed 2024 BFA alumni were employed or in graduate school one year after graduation, based on a 65% survey response rate; this is an institutional outcome measure, not a guarantee for an individual graduate.