Istituto Marangoni: Fashion and Design School in Milan and Florence
Fees, degree status, entry requirements and visa steps for international applicants planning the next intake.
Istituto Marangoni is a private fashion and design school founded in Milan in 1935. It is not a university: in Italy it belongs to the AFAM system of higher arts education, and the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) authorizes it to award academic diplomas. It teaches in Milan and Florence, runs campuses in Paris, London, Dubai and several other cities, and reports over 4,000 students from more than 107 countries.
It suits applicants who want to study fashion design, fashion business, interiors or visual design inside Milan's industry, in English, and whose family can cover about €30,000 a year in fees plus living costs. It suits less well if you need a classic university degree for a public-sector job at home, or if your budget points you toward state universities.
One detail matters more than the brochure suggests. Only some Marangoni courses lead to a state-recognized Italian diploma. Below we show which ones do, what they cost for non-EU students, and how admission and the visa work for the September intake.
| Parameter | Istituto Marangoni (Italy) |
|---|---|
Founded | 1935, Milan |
Type | Private fashion and design school, AFAM institution authorized by MUR |
Italian campuses | Milano Fashion, Milano Design, Firenze |
Other campuses | Paris, London, Dubai, Riyadh, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, plus The Virtual School |
Students | Over 4,000 from more than 107 countries (school data) |
Language | Italian and English, listed for each course |
Bachelor-level diploma | Diploma Accademico di I livello, 3 years, 180 ECTS |
Istituto Marangoni tuition fees for non-EU students
Fees for non-EU students in Milan and Florence run from about €19,400 to €33,500 a year, plus an enrollment fee. That enrollment fee is charged every year, not once. For a fashion BA, the real annual cost at current prices is €29,800, or €89,400 over three years before rent and living costs.
| Program | Length | Tuition per year | Enrollment fee per year | Price list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BA Fashion Design & Accessories, Fashion Management Digital Communication & Media | 3 years | €25,800 | €4,000 | Current price list |
BA Interior Design (Milano Design) | 3 years | €24,300 (current), €24,850 (next September intake) | €4,000 | Current and next intake |
BA Fragrances & Cosmetics Product and Communication (Milan) | 3 years | €19,400 (current), €19,850 (next intake) |
Prices for the next September intake are published only for some courses. For the others, we check the current price list for your program before you apply. The school does not describe a separate application fee: the enrollment fee is paid when you submit the online application.
For comparison, the fashion BA in Paris costs the same for non-EU students, €25,800 plus €4,000. In London the international BA is £22,700–23,200 plus £3,300.
Scholarships exist. The winter scholarship round offers up to €5,000 off tuition for January–February starts in Milan, Florence and Paris, with a deadline of 30 November. The enrollment fee is always paid in full. Marangoni also runs brand-sponsored talent contests, and the award depends on the contest. Students in AFAM programs can apply for the regional DSU scholarship, which depends on family income.
What a year at Istituto Marangoni costs
Tuition in EUR per year for non-EU students, Milan and Florence, current price list
- Master Fashion & Luxury Brand Management€33,500
- One-Year Intensive Fashion Design€25,850
- BA Fashion Design, Fashion Management€25,800
- BA Interior Design (Milano Design)€24,300
- One-Year Intensive Interior Design€24,150
- Foundation year€14,850
Programs and the degree you receive
The qualification depends on the campus and the course type, not on the word "BA" on the website.
- Three-year courses in Milan and Florence lead to the Diploma Accademico di I livello, 180 ECTS. Italian rules treat it as equivalent to a three-year university bachelor's degree (laurea triennale). The website calls these courses "BA (Hons)", but in Italy you do not receive a British honors degree.
- One-year "Master" courses lead to a Master accademico di I livello, 60 credits. It is a postgraduate course taken after a bachelor's. It is not the same as a two-year Italian master's degree.
- Two-year Master of Arts (Diploma Accademico di II livello, 120 credits) exists only for selected programs, such as Fashion Design & Innovation (Milan, Florence) and Communication Design (Milano Design).
Let's review your case in a free consultation
We will match a country, university and programme to your documents and budget, and explain deadlines and the visa.
or message us
Admission requirements for international students
Admission to the Italian campuses is portfolio- or essay-based, with no entrance exam. You need 12 years of school for the AFAM courses. School systems in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt usually cover 12 years, but we check your certificate individually.
How to apply for the September intake
1
School grades — a 12-year secondary school certificate for the three-year courses. For a Master, you need a bachelor's diploma, a CV and two reference letters.
2
Creative task or essay — creative BA applicants submit "6 creative ideas" (sketches, mood boards, collages on A4/A3), not a full portfolio. Business BA applicants write an essay of about 700 words on a fashion or luxury trend. Creative Master applicants send a portfolio of about 10–12 projects.
3
English — B2 for the BA. The school uses IELTS 5.0 as an example, and its FAQ lists IELTS 4.5–5.0 or TOEFL iBT 42–71. For a Master, plan for IELTS 5.0–5.5. The Foundation year asks for B1, IELTS 4.5.
4
Online application — fill in the form, pay the enrollment fee, upload documents. The school sends a decision within 15 working days.
5
Document certification — for the visa, your school certificate needs either two CIMEA statements (comparability and authenticity) or a Dichiarazione di Valore from the Italian embassy. A CIMEA comparability statement costs around €150 and takes about 60 working days as standard. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain use the apostille. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need consular legalization at the Italian embassy.
Marangoni appears to admit on a rolling basis, without a fixed application deadline. In practice, the visa timeline is your real deadline. Each institution can validate only a limited number of Universitaly applications, so applying early also protects your place in the queue.
What to know before you apply
- The cost is high and repeats every year. A fashion BA costs €29,800 a year at current prices, before rent. The visa itself requires proof of at least €10,179.85 a year for living costs, on top of tuition. Count both before you choose.
- Not every course is a degree. One-Year Intensive and Foundation courses give a certificate without MUR recognition. If your goal is a recognized diploma, choose a three-year course.
- The one-year Master is not a two-year master's. This can matter for PhD applications or public-sector jobs at home. Check with your home country's recognition authority before you enroll.
Rankings and accreditation
Marangoni ranks #45 in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Art & Design, according to the school. It is the first time it reached the top 50. In Italy, the Milan and Florence campuses operate as AFAM institutions under Presidential Decree 212/2005, with course-level authorizations from MUR. That authorization covers the three-year diplomas and the AFAM master's programs, not the intensive or short courses.
Housing and student life
Marangoni has no residences of its own. Its Accommodation Service works with partner residences and private apartments, and prices are not published. As a guide, a single room in Milan costs around €704 a month on average, and around €627 in Florence. With rent, living in Milan costs roughly €1,100–1,400 a month.
On a student permit you can work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Within 8 working days of arrival, you apply for the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno); the first one costs €116.46. Voluntary enrollment in the Italian national health service costs €700 per calendar year. After graduating from an AFAM program, you can apply for a 9–12 month permit to look for work or start a business.
Student visa
You need a type D study visa. It is valid for 365 days and allows multiple entries. Marangoni sends an admission letter and instructions, but you apply yourself at the Italian consulate in your country of residence. Biometrics are required. The funds can belong to you or to relatives up to the fourth degree, and the consulate checks where the money comes from. The consulate alone decides, and it also looks at whether your chosen program makes sense for your background. Full checklist: Italy student visa.
Other options
If Marangoni's fees stretch your budget, compare it with NABA, another Milan design school, where the non-EU bachelor's costs €22,250 a year. State universities such as Politecnico di Milano charge up to €3,943 a year depending on family income, and the University of Bologna works on a similar income-based system. For the full picture of fees, visas and scholarships, start with our Study in Italy guide.
14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.
- What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
- What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
- Who files the visa application — you or the university
- Five red flags that mean you should not pay
Not sure whether Marangoni is the right fit or which course leads to a recognized diploma? Book a free consultation. We check your school certificate, English score and documents against Istituto Marangoni's requirements, and compare it with 2–3 alternatives in Italy that match your budget.