Guides for Pennsylvania: Fashion design schools in Pennsylvania · Fashion marketing schools in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania fashion schools at a glance (2026)
- 11 colleges report fashion design, apparel or merchandising programs. Seven of them are in or near Philadelphia.
- Lowest yearly cost after grants: Lehigh Carbon Community College, $6,022.
- Public options: two community colleges and one public university, Indiana University of Pennsylvania ($17,391 a year after grants).
- Private colleges after grants: $20,596 to $44,587 a year.
- Design picks: Drexel, Jefferson and Moore in Philadelphia. Value pick: Community College of Philadelphia, then transfer.
Eleven Pennsylvania colleges report graduates in fashion design, apparel or fashion merchandising to the U.S. Department of Education. Most are private, and most are around Philadelphia. The table compares all eleven on tuition, yearly cost after grants, admission, graduation and earnings.
Compare the 11 Fashion Schools in Pennsylvania
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Yearly cost after grants | Admit rate | Grad rate | Median earnings | Program focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community College of Philadelphiafederal data | Philadelphia | Public | $4,692 | $11,751 | - | 24% | $44,885 | MerchandisingAssociate |
| Lehigh Carbon Community Collegefederal data | Schnecksville | Public | $5,616 | $6,022 | - | 34% | $46,873 | Design & TextilesAssociate |
| Indiana University of PennsylvaniaWestern Pennsylvania public university. Its Fashion Studies BS has merchandising, design, and styling and promotion specializations.federal data | Indiana | Public | $11,724 | $17,391 | 91% | 54% | $57,182 | Design + MerchBachelor's |
| Immaculata UniversityChester County Catholic university with a fashion merchandising track.federal data | Immaculata | Private | $30,170 | $23,811 | 86% | 66% | $74,080 | MerchandisingBachelor's |
| Albright Collegefederal data | Reading | Private | $31,025 | $20,596 | 76% | 51% | $63,312 | Design & TextilesBachelor's |
| Harcum Collegefederal data | Bryn Mawr | Private | $33,620 | $23,680 | - | 46% | $47,809 | Design & TextilesAssociate |
| Mercyhurst Universityfederal data | Erie | Private | $47,270 | $26,486 | 81% | 61% | $55,508 | MerchandisingBachelor's |
| Thomas Jefferson UniversityThe former Philadelphia University, whose textile and fashion program dates to 1884, in East Falls.federal data | Philadelphia | Private | $49,450 | $25,555 | 81% | 70% | $78,311 | Design + MerchBachelor's, master's |
| Arcadia UniversityGlenside private just north of Philadelphia.federal data | Glenside | Private | $50,940 | $25,397 | 80% | 62% | $62,618 | MerchandisingBachelor's |
| Moore College of Art and Designfederal data | Philadelphia | Private | $55,166 | $44,587 | 56% | 56% | $44,219 | Design & TextilesBachelor's |
| Drexel Universityfederal data | Philadelphia | Private | $64,212 | $37,529 | 79% | 78% | $92,338 | Design & TextilesBachelor's, master's |
Showing all 11 schools
Studying in Philadelphia? Drexel, Jefferson, Moore and the Community College of Philadelphia are all in the city. Our guide to fashion schools in Philadelphia compares them with URBN and other local employers, Fabric Row, rent and transit.
Best Fashion Schools in Pennsylvania: Standouts
Drexel University (Philadelphia)
Drexel’s BS in Fashion Design runs on a quarter calendar and includes a co-op of at least six months, in the U.S. or abroad. Past co-op employers include Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Seniors show their thesis collections in an annual juried fashion show. Students also have a Shima Seiki knitting lab and a historic costume collection of more than 12,000 objects.
Portfolio: Required. Drexel asks for 8 to 12 recent pieces in a variety of media, uploaded with your application (Westphal requirements).
2026-27 tuition is $63,078 a year (three quarters), plus $2,370 in fees (Drexel costs). After grants, the federal average is $37,529 a year.
Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, East Falls)
Jefferson offers a BS in Fashion Design on its East Falls campus, the former Philadelphia University. Every senior is invited to show a capstone collection at Jefferson’s annual fashion show. Students work on industry-sponsored projects (past sponsors include Free People and Target) and can develop their own fabrics with textile design students.
Jefferson is the only school here that reports both design and merchandising. Federal data puts its tuition at $49,450 and its average cost after grants at $25,555 a year.
Moore College of Art and Design (Philadelphia)
Moore is a private art college in Philadelphia with a Fashion Design BFA. Its official 2026-27 tuition is $54,018 a year, plus a $1,852 general fee and a $266 technology fee (Moore cost of attendance). Its average cost after grants, $44,587, is the highest on this list, so compare aid offers carefully.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA)
IUP is the only public university on the list. Its BS in Fashion Studies lets students choose one or two specializations: merchandising, design, or styling and promotion. No portfolio is needed to enter. Students build one by graduation, with internships, trips to New York and Pittsburgh, and a study-abroad option in Italy.
As a state-system university, IUP charges Pennsylvania residents $4,169 per semester in 2026-27, or $8,338 a year, before fees.
Community College of Philadelphia
CCP’s Fashion Merchandising & Marketing A.A.S. is a 63-credit, open-admission degree with micro-internships and externships. From fall 2026, Philadelphia residents pay $174 per credit plus $34 in per-credit fees. Other Pennsylvanians pay $348 per credit and out-of-state students $522, plus capital fees (CCP costs).
The other schools in the table are Albright College in Reading, Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, and three merchandising programs: Arcadia University in Glenside, Immaculata University, and Mercyhurst University in Erie. Check each program’s current details on the school’s own site.
Fashion Design vs. Merchandising in Pennsylvania
Design. Seven schools report a design program. For a bachelor’s, compare Drexel, Jefferson and Moore in Philadelphia, Albright in Reading and IUP in western Pennsylvania. Harcum and Lehigh Carbon offer two-year routes. See our guide to fashion design schools in Pennsylvania.
Merchandising. Arcadia, Immaculata, Mercyhurst and Community College of Philadelphia teach the business side of fashion, as does Jefferson. IUP’s Fashion Studies degree also has a merchandising specialization. See fashion marketing in Pennsylvania.
How Much Does Fashion School Cost in Pennsylvania?
The yearly cost after grants is the average a student on federal aid pays for a full year, including housing and food.
| Type of school | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|
| Community colleges (2) | $6,022 to $11,751 |
| Public university (1) | $17,391 |
| Private colleges (8) | $20,596 to $44,587 |
Aid makes a big difference at the private schools. Jefferson’s $49,450 tuition comes down to $25,555 on average, and Arcadia’s $50,940 comes down to $25,397. Drexel ($37,529) and Moore ($44,587) cost the most after grants.
Paying for Fashion School in Pennsylvania
- PA State Grant. Pennsylvania’s need-based grant, run by PHEAA. PHEAA’s board approved a maximum award of $6,000 for 2026-27, up from $5,750. You apply by filing the FAFSA.
- PASSHE Pledge. From fall 2027, in-state students at state-system universities such as IUP who receive both a federal Pell Grant and a PA State Grant will pay no out-of-pocket tuition after aid. It does not cover fees, books, housing or meals (PASSHE announcement).
- Private college aid. Most private schools on this list discount heavily. Ask each one for a net price estimate before you rule it out.
Routes: Community College and Transfer
The cheapest route to a bachelor’s is to start at Community College of Philadelphia or Lehigh Carbon Community College, then transfer. An A.A.S. is a career degree, so ask the four-year school in advance which of your credits will count. IUP is the lowest-cost bachelor’s option for Pennsylvania residents.
Fashion Careers in Pennsylvania
| Job | Jobs in Pennsylvania | Median pay in Pennsylvania | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion designers | 320 | $63,840 | $80,960 |
| Buyers and purchasing agents (all industries) | 17,430 | $73,550 | $77,710 |
Figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025. URBN, the company behind Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, lists its head office at 5000 South Broad Street in Philadelphia in its SEC filings. New York’s design studios are within train distance of Philadelphia for internships.
Fashion Schools Near Pennsylvania
- New York: FIT is the nearest big public option. Its 2026-27 out-of-state rate is $10,846 per semester for bachelor’s programs. Compare it with Parsons and Pratt on our New York page.
- New Jersey: Montclair State University’s yearly cost after grants is $15,193. See fashion design schools in New Jersey.
- Delaware: the University of Delaware offers fashion design and fashion merchandising majors, with a yearly cost after grants of $16,337. See fashion schools in Delaware.
Closed Pennsylvania Fashion Schools
- The Art Institute of Philadelphia closed at the end of 2018.
- The Art Institute of Pittsburgh closed in March 2019.
Fashion Schools in Pennsylvania: FAQs
What is the cheapest fashion school in Pennsylvania?
By yearly cost after grants, Lehigh Carbon Community College is lowest at about $6,022, followed by Community College of Philadelphia ($11,751), per U.S. Department of Education data. For a bachelor's, Indiana University of Pennsylvania is lowest at $17,391 a year after grants.
What are the best fashion design schools in Pennsylvania?
For a bachelor's in design, compare Drexel University, Thomas Jefferson University and Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. Drexel's BS includes a six-month co-op, Jefferson invites every senior to show a collection at its annual fashion show, and Moore offers a Fashion Design BFA.
Do Pennsylvania fashion schools require a portfolio?
Drexel requires a portfolio of 8 to 12 recent pieces for its Fashion Design BS. IUP's Fashion Studies BS needs no portfolio to enter, and Community College of Philadelphia has open admission. Check other schools' current rules with admissions.
How much does fashion school cost in Pennsylvania?
After grants, the community colleges average $6,022 to $11,751 a year, IUP $17,391, and the private colleges $20,596 to $44,587, per federal data. Drexel's official 2026-27 tuition is $63,078 a year plus fees, and Moore's is $54,018 plus fees.
What financial aid can Pennsylvania students get?
File the FAFSA for federal aid and the PA State Grant, which PHEAA set at up to $6,000 for 2026-27. From fall 2027, the PASSHE Pledge covers remaining tuition at state-system universities such as IUP for in-state students who receive both a Pell Grant and a PA State Grant.
How much do fashion designers earn in Pennsylvania?
The median wage for fashion designers in Pennsylvania was $63,840 in May 2025, below the U.S. median of $80,960, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Buyers and purchasing agents in Pennsylvania earned a median of $73,550.
How we built this list: schools come from U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions for 2022-23 and 2023-24. We count a school if it reported graduates in fashion/apparel design (CIP 50.0407), apparel and textiles (19.09xx), or fashion merchandising (52.1902, 52.1904). Tuition, cost after grants, admit rate, graduation rate and earnings come from College Scorecard, retrieved November 1, 2026. Program details and 2026-27 rates were checked on each school’s own site where it allowed access. See our methodology. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.