Admit rate has ranged 47%–61% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Moore College of Art and Design is a small, fiercely focused private art school in Philadelphia with a singular mission: to prepare women for leadership in the visual arts. Its identity is built on a tight-knit, all-female undergraduate community, a curriculum that emphasizes hands-on, professional-grade skill-building, and a location that plugs students directly into a major city's creative bloodstream. This is not a liberal arts college with an art department; it's a conservatory-style environment where the portfolio is the ultimate credential, and the vibe is more studio-intensive workshop than traditional campus.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
535
In-state tuition
$52,812
Out-of-state tuition
$52,812
Graduation Rate
57%
Portfolio Required
8-12 pieces
Early Action Offered
Yes
Early Decision Offered
No
Median Earnings (10yr)
$37,839
First-Year Retention Rate
81%
BFA Alumni Employment Rate (2024)
91%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$37,839
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
0.9×
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Graduation rate
57%
First-year retention
81%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
61%
Pell (lower-income) share
43%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
31%
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Design and Applied Arts$31,314
Fine and Studio Arts$24,267
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$24,035
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
89
Summer high
85°F
Winter low
30°F
Annual rain
49.8"
Annual snow
12.8"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
90
Scholarly works
1,438
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Moore College of Art and Design?
Moore College of Art and Design's acceptance rate is approximately 56% (Philadelphia, PA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Moore College of Art and Design?
Admitted students at Moore College of Art and Design typically score 1180–1380 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Moore College of Art and Design cost?
At Moore College of Art and Design, the average net price (after aid) is about $43,086 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Moore College of Art and Design?
Moore College of Art and Design enrolls approximately 535 undergraduate students.
Where is Moore College of Art and Design located?
Moore College of Art and Design is located in Philadelphia, PA.
Admissions
Admission to Moore is a portfolio-first process. The college reports an of 56%, admitting a little over half of its applicants. The application requires the submission of 8-12 pieces of the applicant's best artwork created within the last one to two years. While the college considers SAT and ACT scores, the artistic portfolio is the central component of the review. The average high school GPA of admitted students is reported as 3.24. Moore offers an Early Action admission plan, allowing students to apply early and receive a decision ahead of the regular deadline, but does not offer an Early Decision binding option. The process is designed to identify students with foundational artistic skills and the potential to thrive in a rigorous, studio-based environment.
Moore offers ten Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs, all structured around cultivating creative talent, honing technical skills, and providing professional support. The educational philosophy is explicitly pragmatic: it's described as "real-world problem solving" and "the development of hands-on expertise to lead professionally." The curriculum emphasizes creative problem-solving and critical thinking, preparing students specifically for careers in the visual arts. While the college promotes giving women "the technical skill and empowerment to lead," student anecdotes suggest the workload is intense and expects students to arrive with, or rapidly acquire, a strong skill set. This is a professional school environment where the studio is the primary classroom.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Life at Moore revolves around its compact campus on Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which the college describes as an "exceptionally safe" and "green and friendly" environment. The student body is small, with total undergraduate enrollment around 490, and is overwhelmingly female (87.5%). Campus facilities include dedicated student spaces like the Triangle Lounge for collaboration and socializing, as well as specialized labs for disciplines like stop-motion animation. A significant part of the Moore experience is its location in Philadelphia; students are encouraged to engage with the city's "thriving creative scene, vibrant neighborhoods, and cultural landmarks." The college also maintains off-campus housing at Tower Place. The atmosphere is that of a focused, collaborative artistic community embedded in a major urban center.
Moore's most recent data points to a 91% employment rate for its 2024 BFA alumni, based on an 83% survey response rate. The six-year graduation rate for all BFA students is 54.9%. Post-graduation earnings for art school graduates are often modest in the early years, and sources note that early-career earnings for Moore graduates are about $6,000 worse than might be expected when compared to similar institutions. The college's own data emphasizes employment outcomes, suggesting a career-services focus on connecting graduates directly to the workforce in art and design fields.
Moore College of Art and Design offers scholarships, grants, and loans to make art and design education affordable, and it provides a Calculator for prospective students to estimate costs. The average financial aid package is reported to be $24,635. The net price—the average cost after aid and scholarships—is a significant consideration. The college's financial aid policies include federal loan programs like Unsubsidized Direct Loans and Direct PLUS Loans that are available regardless of financial need, and it maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for students receiving aid.
Moore's distinctiveness is threefold. First, it is one of the only undergraduate colleges in the United States dedicated exclusively to educating women in art and design, creating a focused and supportive environment for female artists. Second, its pedagogical approach is unapologetically professional and hands-on; this is a school for students who want to build a career, not just explore a subject. Third, its location is integral to the experience. Nestled on the Parkway in Philadelphia, students have immediate access to world-class museums and a city-sized studio, making the urban landscape a direct extension of the classroom. It stands as a specific, pragmatic choice for a young woman who knows she wants a professional life in the visual arts and seeks an intensive, city-based education to launch it.
Moore College of Art and Design seal · sourceComing to our Campus | Moore College · sourceAbout Moore College of Art & Design | Moore College · sourceCampus Life at Moore | Moore College · source
