These are some of the top-ranked architecture schools that offer undergraduate or graduate degree programs. Students have many options and opportunities when picking a program at the bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree levels.
School Overviews
Students who are interested in careers as architects must earn a professional B.Arch or M.Arch from a school that has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The four schools featured below are all NAAB-accredited and include California Polytechnic State University, Rice University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University. All of these schools are also nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Some schools offer non-professional degrees for students who do not plan on obtaining a state architect's license.
California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo
| School Highlight: The school is the #1 top public school for 2017, according U.S. News & World Report. |
In addition to its strong public school ranking, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) ranked among the top 10 best universities in the West, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2017. More than 1,700 students enroll in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, where they can earn a B.Arch or Master's in Architecture, Architectural Engineering and City and Regional Planning. Students can also major in Landscape Architecture and pursue a graduate degree in Architecture Management through Orfalea College of Business. Program emphasis is on direct experience and a balanced curriculum that combines courses in art and science.
Rice University in Houston, TX
| School Highlight: Rice has a study abroad program at its Paris campus for senior architecture students. |
Rice University tied for 15th place on U.S. News & World Report's survey of national universities for 2017. Undergraduates can pursue a 6-year Bachelor of Arts in Architecture program leading to a professional B.Arch; a non-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies is also available. Students in the B.Arch program may spend a semester in Paris; fifth-year students in the Preceptorship Program can acquire real-world experience at a top architectural firm. The M.Arch program can be completed in three, five or seven semesters, depending on a student's prior architectural education.
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
| School Highlight: Home of PennPraxis, a faculty-student research group that works with organizations around the world. |
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) tied for eighth place on U.S. News & World Report's list of national universities for 2017. Undergraduate students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture; a special intensive major is available to those interested in earning a Master of Architecture. Graduate programs can lead to an M.Arch., a Master of Science in Design (M.S.D.), a Master of Environmental Building Design, an M.S. in Architecture and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Architecture.
Study abroad programs include opportunities for students in Paris, London and Columbia. Penn's architectural programs emphasize all aspects of design, ranging from hand drawing to computer-aided design (CAD).
Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
| School Highlight: Architecture students can choose from 10 master's and 3 doctoral programs. |
Cornell University tied for fifteenth place on U.S. News & World Report's list of national universities for 2017. There are three undergraduate programs and 13 graduate programs available. Cornell also has a campus in Rome, Italy where undergraduate architecture students can study.
Top Architecture Schools
These top-rated schools also offer architecture programs:
- Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University offers numerous awards, medals, fellowships and travel awards for architecture students.
- Located in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University's College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Planning and Design both offer graduate programs in architecture.
- The Department of Architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, MA, was one of the 4 original MIT departments.
- Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, CA, is one of the few independent architecture schools in the U.S. with undergraduate and graduate programs.
- Located in Austin, TX, University of Texas's architecture and planning library houses subscriptions to hundreds of magazines and hundreds of thousands of books for students to reference.
- Yale University, in New Haven, CT has joint master's degree programs offered by the School of Management and School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Many of the top architecture schools allow students to enjoy unique program opportunities, including studying abroad or choosing a specialization. The best architecture schools may also offer the opportunity to gain experience through internships.
