Istituto Marangoni Milan: Admissions, Fees, Programmes and Scholarships for 2027

Several of the same three-year courses also run in Florence, with the same non-EU fee and a different EU fee. This guide covers Milan. The school caps class sizes at 20 students on every campus.

How Marangoni compares with NABA, IED, Polimoda and the Politecnico di Milano on portfolio, set tasks, interview, language and fees is shown in the Fashion Admissions Matrix 2027.

Fashion Design & Accessories: the course and the entry task

Fashion Design & Accessories is a three-year, MUR-recognised Milano Fashion course (180 CFA) that takes students from drawing and construction to a collection of their own for the catwalk. Entry requires 6 Creative Ideas, a B2 certificate in the language of the course and twelve years of schooling; non-EU students pay €25,800 a year plus the €4,000 enrolment fee every year.

What the course teaches

In the school’s description, the first year is about technique: drawing, the figure and proportion, learnt from scratch. In the second year students begin a collection of their own; in the third they build a Fashion Industry Portfolio and a collection with a clear creative identity, costed for production with attention to circularity and sustainability.

The course covers pattern cutting and construction, technical drawing, 3D illustration and digital tools: Clo3D for prototyping, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and generative AI. At the end of the third year an industry jury selects 10 students to show their collections during Milan Fashion Week and Pitti Uomo in Florence.

The careers the school lists: fashion designer, textile designer, trend forecaster, product developer, pattern maker, digital fashion designer, fashion illustrator.

What to submit: 6 Creative Ideas

In the school’s words, the 6 Creative Ideas can be anything that visually describes the applicant’s inspiration and chosen area of study: sketches, drawings, photographs, mood boards and collages, or a mix of these; a personal reinterpretation of objects, environments, people or situations; and, for fashion, representations of the applicant’s own outfits or collections. All in A4 or A3, as .pdf, .tiff, .jpg or .zip.

With the task go a signed personal statement, a copy of the school-leaving certificate and grades (or a certificate of attendance if the final year is not finished), a passport copy, a photograph, a B2 certificate and proof of the enrolment fee transfer. The school states that professional experience is not required for undergraduate entry, that creative courses assess creative process and potential rather than technical skill, and that selection may include an interview.

Why six ideas are not a portfolio

Fees for every course and intake are in the fees table.

Interior Design in Milan: curriculum, entry task and fees

Interior Design at Istituto Marangoni is a three-year Milano Design course recognised by the MUR (Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello, 180 CFA, equal to 180 ECTS), taught in English or Italian. The next start dates are 25 January 2027 and 20 September 2027. Non-EU students pay €24,300 a year for January and €24,850 for September; EU students €19,950 and €20,450. The €4,000 enrolment fee is due every year. Applicants submit 6 Creative Ideas, not a professional portfolio.

What the course teaches

Students learn to read a space and shape its identity through colour, layout, acoustics, light, furniture and fabrics. The school names five main areas: residential, commercial, retail, public spaces and exhibition design, with a particular focus on luxury interiors such as flagship stores, showrooms, trade fair stands and the translation of brand identity into space.

The technical core is CAD, 3D modelling and rendering, full sets of drawings (plans, sections, dimensioned elevations), materials and lighting. The course includes industry projects with companies from concept to final presentation, an internship and a graduation showcase. The professional portfolio is what students build over three years: an outcome of the course, not a condition of entry.

Learning focus, as the school lists it

• Spatial design
• Designing public spaces
• Residential design
• Brand identity in interior design
• Professional portfolio
• Materials and surfaces
• Illustration and colour technique
• CAD
• History of art and design
• Research approaches

Where graduates work: the school’s list

The course page and programme specification list: interior designer for residential, commercial and exhibition spaces; lighting designer; retail designer for stores and showrooms; furniture designer for custom pieces; spatial and experience design consultant; interiors for editorial and publishing; showroom management; consultant for exhibitions and installations; set designer.

How to apply for Interior Design

Interior Design is a creative course, so applicants submit 6 Creative Ideas under the general rules for three-year courses in Milan and Florence. The official list of forms includes interior subjects directly: representations of the applicant’s own ideas for interior spaces and furniture, reinterpretations of real environments, sketches, photographs, mood boards and collages, in A4 or A3.

The rest matches Fashion Design: a personal statement, twelve years of schooling for a recognised course, a B2 certificate in the language of the course and proof of the enrolment fee transfer.

Studying interior design in Milan: what to compare

Other private AFAM institutions in Milan teach interior design at first-degree level, among them IED (First Level Academic Diploma in Design, Interior Design specialisation). The public Politecnico di Milano admits to its design programmes through the competitive TOLD test.

None of the official sources behind this guide ranks schools on interior design specifically, so calling any of them the best in Italy for it would not be accurate. Marangoni’s verifiable reference point is different: 45th in QS Art & Design 2026, for the institution as a whole rather than for one course.

Fashion Business and Fashion Communication: a different kind of evidence

Applicants to the Milano Fashion business courses (Fashion Management & Brand Strategies; Fashion Management, Digital Communication and Media; Fashion Product) submit written work instead of Creative Ideas: about 700 words on one emerging trend in fashion or luxury. Non-EU fees match Fashion Design: €25,800 a year plus the €4,000 enrolment fee every year.

What the task asks for (official)

• Identify one emerging trend in the fashion or luxury sector and show how it is emerging.
• Ground it in consumer behaviour; the school’s examples are digital, sustainability and new textiles.
• Add visual research and a list of references.
• Submit it as a single PDF.

The Winter 2027 scholarship regulation words the task more broadly: a critical reflection on a contemporary phenomenon (sustainability, inclusivity, digitalisation) or an analysis of a brand of the applicant’s choice. For a standard application, follow the wording on the Entry Requirements page.

According to the school’s FAQ, business and management courses weigh different criteria: motivation, academic background and professional interests.

Fashion Communication & Image

This course teaches students to produce commercial and editorial shoots, advertising campaigns, fashion films and magazines, and to build a personal portfolio and website by the third year. The Entry Requirements page assigns 6 Creative Ideas to creative courses and written work to business courses without naming Fashion Communication & Image. We treat it as a creative course but recommend confirming the task format with admissions before preparing it.

International qualifications and the 12-year rule

Recognised (AFAM) courses at Istituto Marangoni require twelve years of prior schooling. Applicants whose school system is shorter must cover the gap with a qualification the Italian procedure accepts, and must do so before enrolment.

The rule is national, not the school’s own. The MUR procedures for international students for 2026/27 and 2027/28 require, for first-cycle study, a school-leaving qualification awarded after at least twelve years of schooling. Annex 1 (Allegato 1) lists what an institution may accept where schooling lasted eleven years:

• proof of all first-year exams passed at a higher education institution;
• an official one-year post-secondary, non-university qualification in a subject related to the chosen course;
• a foundation course certificate from an Italian university or a recognised foreign institution;
• the institution’s own foundation course certificate, where it prepares for the chosen course at the same institution.

These qualifications allow entry to the first year only; they do not shorten the course.

Whether a given qualification works for a given course is decided by the institution. The school’s pages do not state whether its own Foundation in Fashion or Foundation in Design counts as the missing year for a recognised course, so get that confirmed in writing before paying. For the visa and enrolment, the school certificate is usually accompanied by a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Dichiarazione di valore; the MUR procedures leave the choice to the institution. Non-EU applicants living abroad also pre-enrol through the Universitaly portal.

How education documents are prepared and legalised for Italy is covered in our guide to legalising education documents; the wider logic of Italian admissions is on our page on studying in Italy.

English requirements: B1, B2 and IELTS

Istituto Marangoni in Milan requires a B2 certificate in the language of instruction for three-year and master’s courses, and B1 for Foundation. The certificate applies to students whose first language is not English or Italian and must be no more than two years old at the start of the course.

The school’s official materials do not agree on the numbers. The Entry Requirements page gives IELTS 5.0 as an example of B2. The school’s published certificate list for Milan and Florence sets IELTS 5.5 or above, with no element below 4.0, for every B2 AFAM course, and the FAQ quotes 4.5–5.0 for three-year courses. For Italian, the same list gives CILS UNO (B1), CELI 2 from 94 points and PLIDA B1 for three-year courses, and CILS DUE (B2), CELI 3 from 117 points and PLIDA B2 for master’s courses.

Non-EU applicants face an external threshold too. For visas for courses not taught in Italian, the MUR procedures require a certificate at no less than B2 covering all four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

According to the school’s FAQ, every Istituto Marangoni course is taught in English and some undergraduate courses in Italy are also offered in Italian; the Milan intake blocks for three-year courses list both. Italian helps even on an English-taught course, with housing, banking and paperwork. The level Italian universities require for Italian-taught programmes is covered in our guide to Italian for university.

Istituto Marangoni fees in Milan: EU and non-EU

A three-year course in Milan starting in 2027 costs non-EU students €20,450 a year (Product Design and Visual Design, September) to €25,800 (Fashion Design & Accessories and the Fashion Business courses); EU fees run from €18,300 to €22,550. A €4,000 enrolment fee comes on top, and the three-year course pages state that it is due every year.

According to the school, tuition covers teaching, access to laboratories and studios and academic services; materials, accommodation and living costs in Milan are extra, and the school does not run its own residences.

Istituto Marangoni scholarships: what is open now

As of 1 October 2026 two campaigns are open for Milan: Scholarships Winter 2027 for courses starting in January and February 2027 (deadline 30 November 2026) and the Early Talent Scholarship for courses starting in September 2027 (deadline 1 March 2027). Each is a tuition deduction of up to €5,000; neither covers the enrolment fee.

Closed: Talent Contest in partnership with Altagamma (September 2026 and January 2027 intakes), deadline 15 September 2026.

Marangoni scholarships are usually tuition deductions awarded through competitive calls. Each campaign has its own intake, courses and deadline, so last year’s terms are no basis for planning.

The school also takes part in the regional right-to-study programme (DSU), whose grants are awarded by competition, and offers a tuition loan through a partner bank only to students or guarantors with an income in Italy or France. How to plan funding across several European options is covered in our scholarship strategy guide and on our scholarships and funding page.

January or September intake

Istituto Marangoni publishes a January 2027 intake (25 January) for Fashion Design & Accessories, Fashion Communication & Image, the three Fashion Business courses, Interior Design, Foundation, One-Year and master’s courses. Product Design and Visual Design start in September only. January 2027 fees match September 2026; some September 2027 fees are already higher.

The school publishes start dates, not a general application deadline. External deadlines come from scholarships and visas. Under the MUR procedures, visa applications for first-level academic courses must be lodged by 30 November 2026 for 2026/27 and by 31 October 2027 for 2027/28, and institutions may set earlier dates for their own courses. Pre-enrolment for the visa goes through the Universitaly portal only.

The application timeline for international students

An application to Istituto Marangoni runs through nine steps, and two of them (twelve years of schooling and English) set the timetable more than the creative task does. The calendar below is relative: the school publishes start dates, not application deadlines.

1. 01

   Choose the programme

   12–18 months before the start. Course, city and status: is the programme on the MUR validation list, is it creative or business, which language.

2. 02

   Check your qualification

   At the same time. Does your school-leaving qualification count for twelve years, what covers any gap, and will you need a CIMEA statement or a Dichiarazione di valore.

3. 03

   English

   9–12 months before. Leave room for a resit; the certificate must be under two years old at the start.

4. 04

   Entry task and personal statement

   6–9 months before. The 6 Creative Ideas or the 700-word trend paper, plus a signed motivation statement.

5. 05

   Application

   On the school’s online platform: form, documents and the enrolment fee, whose proof of payment is part of the file. Check the refund terms before paying.

6. 06

   Offer

   The confirmation appears in the applicant area. If a document is missing, such as the English certificate, the offer may be conditional.

7. 07

   Scholarship

   Alongside the application, within the campaign deadline. A deduction must be accepted within 3 working days.

8. 08

   Tuition

   After the offer, using the amount and payment details in the applicant area.

9. 09

   Pre-enrolment and visa

   For non-EU applicants: pre-enrolment on Universitaly and a study visa application at the consulate by the MUR deadline or any earlier date the school sets.

This is a general sequence. A personal calendar depends on your current studies and the intake you choose.

Common mistakes when applying to Marangoni

Most errors are made before the creative task: in assessing the status of the course, the school-leaving qualification and the budget.

• Assuming every Marangoni course has the same status. MUR recognition belongs to specific courses in Milan and Florence; one-year intensives lead to a school certificate, and London, Paris and Dubai follow other validations.
• Preparing a large portfolio instead of six ideas. Volume does not replace coherence, and no portfolio is requested for undergraduate entry.
• Checking the twelve-year rule after paying. Without a qualification the ministerial procedure accepts, three years of study end with a school certificate rather than a degree.
• Budgeting for tuition alone. The €4,000 enrolment fee is due every year: €12,000 over a three-year course.
• Relying on an expired scholarship deadline. Campaigns change from intake to intake: the Altagamma Talent Contest closed on 15 September 2026, Winter 2027 is open until 30 November 2026, and Early Talent for September 2027 until 1 March 2027.
• Choosing between Fashion Design and Fashion Business by the school’s name. The courses test different evidence: visual direction in one case, analysis and argument in the other.
• Taking IELTS aiming for 5.0 because of the example on the requirements page. The official certificate list sets 5.5 for B2, and the visa requires B2 in all four skills.

Who Marangoni suits, and what to compare it with

Marangoni makes sense for an applicant who wants to study in Milan in English, is choosing between fashion and design in an applied, industry-facing format, and can state a clear direction in six ideas or in a trend analysis. If other things matter more, compare it with its neighbours.

• Public fees and a university model matter most: the Politecnico di Milano, where design entry is by competitive test and the fashion programme is taught in Italian.
• A four-year course in Florence with an interview appeals: Polimoda. The difference in selection is set out in Istituto Marangoni vs Polimoda.
• An art academy with a choice between a set project and a portfolio: NABA.
• A choice of Italian cities and a set project with a published scoring scale: IED.

This is not a ranking: the schools suit different applicants. The wider picture across Italy, the UK, France and the US is in our guide Where to Study Fashion.