Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 56.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Moore College of Art and Design, a small all-women's art college in Philadelphia, scores 18 out of 100 - the Below Benchmark tier rating that reflects the structural ROI failure of high-priced specialty art education. The institution is historically significant (the first and only women's college of art and design in the US) and the academic-prep distribution of its enrolled students is meaningfully strong. But the financial-outcome data shows $29,000 average earnings six years after entry, climbing to $37,839 median earnings at year ten. Median debt is $26,000 against a 0.897 debt-to-earnings ratio. Payback period is 110 years - which functionally means earnings never cover cost under standard assumptions. Sticker tuition is $52,812 with a $43,086 net price; four-year total cost is $172,344. The 0.016 earnings premium is essentially zero - the credential's market value is statistically indistinguishable from a high-school baseline, which is the most damning ROI signal. Moore's mission and historical role are real, but prospective students must see this data clearly.
How Moore College of Art and Design scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Moore College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $52,812/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $52,812/yr |
| Average net price | $43,086/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $172,344 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $37,839 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 535 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $52,812/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $43,086/year, or roughly $172,344 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $34,834/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $47,504/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,000) and comes to 0.90, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $34,834 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $42,789 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $34,168 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $46,865 |
| $110,001+ | $47,504 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $34,834 net annually - still substantial, but meaningful institutional aid against the $52,812 sticker. Pell + PA state grants help. Four-year exposure of about $139,000 against $29,000 average earnings is a profound mismatch that the loan system cannot bridge.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $34,168 - the lowest middle-income net price - but the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays MORE at $42,789. This is an unusual non-monotonic pattern that suggests asset-based aid or merit-aid distribution is doing odd things. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps to $46,865. Four-year cost runs $137,000-$187,000 across mid brackets. Outcomes do not justify these prices.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $47,504 net per year - four-year cost approaches $190,000. Institutional aid is meaningfully reduced at this tier.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Moore College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $38,831 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $27,107 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts is Moore's largest reporting program at 48 graduates: $20,587 first-year earnings, $38,831 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 1.312 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a hard F. The first-year earnings figure - below $25,000 - combined with $27,000 in debt sets up a structural repayment problem that income-driven plans only partially mitigate.
Visual and Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts produces 13 graduates with $27,107 first-year earnings. Year-four earnings, debt, and ROI grade are not reported - limiting full analysis. The first-year figure is consistent with the institution's broader weak-earnings pattern. Without a clear graduate-school plan or established commercial-art path, students entering this program face the same structural ROI pressure documented across the school's other programs.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Moore College of Art and Design’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 56.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 560-670 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 620-710 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 26-32 |
| Enrollment | 535 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,081 |
Admission rate is 56.46%. SAT mid-50% bands sit at 560-670 Math and 620-710 Reading; ACT composite spans 26-32. These are clearly above national medians and reflect the strong portfolio-and-academic profile of Moore's applicant pool. Moore is academically selective, and yet the financial outcomes for graduates remain weak - a function of the broader art-education economics rather than student preparation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moore College of Art and Design (this school) | 18 | $43,086 | $37,839 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 19 | $29,926 | $40,873 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | 19 | $29,439 | $40,664 |
| Kansas City Art Institute | 18 | $27,650 | $37,032 |
| Pennsylvania College of Art and Design | 18 | $30,083 | $33,301 |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 17 | $38,338 | $40,778 |
Who Thrives Here
Moore fits a specific student: a woman with strong academic and portfolio preparation who specifically wants a single-sex art and design education with the historical and community context Moore provides. Pell rate is 43.33% - meaningful working-class enrollment of just 535. The student profile that captures the strongest outcome here is someone with very clear creative-industry direction, a robust personal portfolio, and access to family or scholarship resources sufficient to limit borrowing. The structural ROI math means most students who borrow heavily to attend will face long-term repayment difficulty.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Moore College of Art and Design scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $43,086 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $37,839 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Moore College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Moore College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Moore College of Art and Design scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $43,086 a year after aid against $37,839 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Moore College of Art and Design cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $43,086 a year, or roughly $172,344 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Moore College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $37,839 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Moore College of Art and Design?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Moore College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Moore College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $29,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Moore College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 57.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.