A Philadelphia college is considering opening its doors to more students.

Moore College of Art & Design is preparing to gather feedback from alumni, faculty, staff and students as leaders consider whether the school should admit students of all genders into its undergraduate programs.

The school on Race Street near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was founded in 1848 to expand women’s access to higher education, its website says. Today, the school admits qualified applicants who were assigned female at birth or who self-identify as women, trans women, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming individuals at the time of application, according to its website. The boards adopted this policy in 2020, and it has been in effect since the 2021-22 academic year. Moore was the country’s first art and design college for women.

One of the driving factors in the conversation is the educational gap created by the sudden closure of the University of the Arts in 2024 and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ decision to stop granting degrees, a Monday afternoon message to alumni from President Cathy Young and the chairs of the board of trustees and the board of managers says.

Additionally, in surveys of applicants over the last 12 years, just 6% said Moore’s status as a women’s college was important to their decision to attend. On the other hand, 25% rated Moore being a women’s college as an important reason not to attend the school, according to the letter. Finally, the letter says, the declining number of high school graduates overall and the declining birth rate make this a good time to consider making this change.

Moore’s graduate and adult programs are already open to all genders.

“Moore is operating from a position of strength – financially, academically, artistically, and as a strong community,” the letter says. This is part of a periodic review of the school’s policies, it says, and the school previously expanded gender access following reviews in 2015 and 2020.

The school plans to host a series of 20 guided discussions for students, faculty, staff and alumni to learn about and react to the proposal and will also circulate an online feedback form. The first session for alumni is slated for Thursday evening on Zoom. 

The school says it will share more details in the coming weeks. 

The boards will vote in early June. If they decide to open admission to all genders, the first class to be admitted under the new policy would start school in fall 2027.

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