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Fashion Schools in Philadelphia: Costs and Industry Guide

By · Reviewed by Kamila Katkauskaite (Creative Brand & Content Coordinator), November 1, 2026 · Editorial policy

Philadelphia has three private fashion colleges within a few miles of each other, and one of the country’s biggest fashion retail companies on its waterfront. URBN, the parent of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, runs its North American home office at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and the city’s fashion students intern there and in New York. For students, Philadelphia offers a lower cost of living than New York with strong design programs and a real industry next door.

This guide compares the fashion programs in and around Philadelphia, the local industry and the cost of living. For every Pennsylvania program, see our Pennsylvania fashion schools guide.

Fashion schools in the Philadelphia area

Costs below are published tuition and the average net price after grants, from U.S. Department of Education data. Net price includes housing and food. At the private colleges, grants bring the real cost far below the published price. Official 2026-27 prices are in the program notes below.

School Location Type Tuition (in-state) Average net price Focus
Drexel University University City Private $64,212 $37,529 Design
Thomas Jefferson University East Falls Private $49,450 $25,555 Design and merchandising
Moore College of Art and Design Benjamin Franklin Parkway Private $55,166 $44,587 Design
Community College of Philadelphia Center City Public $4,692 $11,751 Merchandising
Harcum College Bryn Mawr, Main Line Private $33,620 $23,680 Design
Arcadia University Glenside, north suburbs Private $50,940 $25,397 Merchandising
Immaculata University Immaculata, Chester County Private $30,170 $23,811 Merchandising

The main programs

Drexel University

Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design in University City offers a BS in Fashion Design and a BS in Fashion Industry and Merchandising. Both include a six-month co-op, a paid work placement in the U.S. or abroad, and study abroad options in London, Florence and elsewhere. Design seniors show collections in a juried fashion show, and students can work with the Fox Historic Costume Collection, which holds more than 12,000 objects. Fashion design applicants must submit a portfolio; it is optional for merchandising. The 2026-27 tuition estimate is $63,078. Drexel moves from quarters to semesters in fall 2027.

Thomas Jefferson University

Jefferson’s East Falls campus is the former Philadelphia University, and from July 2026 its fashion programs sit in a new College of Fashion and Textiles. It offers a BS in Fashion Design, a BS in Fashion Merchandising and Management, and degrees in textile design and textile product science. Every design senior is invited to show a capstone collection at the annual fashion show, and students work on industry-sponsored projects for companies such as Free People and Target. Tuition and fees for 2026-27 are $51,220.

Moore College of Art and Design

Moore, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, offers a BFA in Fashion Design. Moore says every fashion student gets a paid $1,000 internship between junior and senior year, and fashion students design costumes with the Philadelphia Ballet. Applicants submit a portfolio of 8 to 12 works. Founded in 1848 as a women’s college, Moore will admit undergraduates of all genders from the 2027-28 academic year. Tuition for 2026-27 is $54,018.

Community College of Philadelphia

The Community College of Philadelphia in Center City offers an AAS in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing with a retail lab and short internships. Philadelphia residents pay $174 a credit in tuition from fall 2026, or $208 with fees. Its dual admissions program includes Drexel, so students can finish the associate degree and enter Drexel with junior standing.

Suburban options

Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Arcadia University in Glenside and Immaculata University in Chester County also report fashion programs in federal data. Check each school’s current program list before applying.

The industry around the schools

URBN’s home office occupies several buildings at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, and its brands hire designers, merchandisers, buyers and marketers. Five Below, the discount retailer, is headquartered on Market Street, and Lilly Pulitzer runs its offices and distribution center in King of Prussia. Jefferson lists Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie among the companies where its fashion students have interned.

For fabric, students go to Fabric Row on South Fourth Street, a district of fabric and trim shops built by Jewish immigrants from the 1880s and officially named Fabric Row by the city in 1996. New York’s Garment District and showrooms are close enough for day trips and internships.

Jobs and pay

In May 2025, fashion designers in the Philadelphia metro area earned a median of $78,890, close to the national median of $80,960, though only about 170 work in the area. Buyers and purchasing agents earned a median of $81,470. Our fashion merchandising degree guide explains those jobs.

What it costs to live here

Philadelphia is much cheaper than New York. HUD’s fiscal 2026 fair market rent for the Philadelphia metro area is $1,397 a month for a studio and $1,520 for a one-bedroom. Housing near Drexel in University City and in Center City costs more.

Full-time Drexel students get 15% off SEPTA monthly passes. Drexel is two blocks from 30th Street Station, Moore is a short walk from Suburban Station, and Jefferson’s East Falls campus is on the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail line.

Closed schools

Two Philadelphia art schools have closed in recent years: the University of the Arts in June 2024 and the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2018. Moore took in more than 100 UArts students when the university closed.

Is studying fashion in Philadelphia worth it?

For design students who want a strong studio program and New York access without New York rents, Philadelphia is a strong choice. The three private colleges are expensive on paper, but each gives large grants, so compare aid offers. For Pennsylvania residents on a tight budget, the Community College of Philadelphia’s route into Drexel is the cheapest way in.

Frequently asked questions

Is Moore College still a women’s college?

Moore will admit undergraduates of all genders starting in the 2027-28 academic year.

Which Philadelphia fashion programs require a portfolio?

Drexel’s fashion design BS and Moore’s fashion design BFA do. Drexel’s merchandising degree does not.

Is Philadelphia University still open?

It merged into Thomas Jefferson University. Its East Falls campus now houses Jefferson’s College of Fashion and Textiles.

Where else should I look?

Compare fashion schools in New York City, fashion design schools in Pennsylvania and our other city guides.

Sources

What changed on this page

  • November 2026: city guide published.