2013 United States Best Architecture Schools

UPDATE: The lists have been updated from showing the Top 5 Schools in each category, to the Top 20. 

James Cramer and the Greenway Group have released the 14th edition of DesignIntelligence, a compilation of different rankings for accredited architecture schools in the United States. The report attempts to create a level playing ground upon which to rank the universities by polling thousands of students, talking to deans and administrators, interviewing successful designers in private practices, and visiting each university campus.  While the findings may raise some debate, overall, the report creates a dialogue as to how, and to what extent, higher education responds to the changing demands of our profession.

Although design education is generally well respected, several of the educators, students and practitioners interviewed this year were critical of its current state, believing that it is simply not good enough. As Cramer describes, “Respect for design education is high – and can grow further. This will require that there be a deep understanding of the dimensions of the trends in the design profession. When schools and practitioners are in harmony on these dimensions of change, they can reinforce and enhance each other. In this there is art and science. Leadership is at issue. The big shifts can be signs of new strength in a time of flux.”

A closer look after the break…

DesignIntelligence has evolved the way they conduct their rankings by studying several new areas that include the strongest branded schools in 22 categories. For instance, the full report reveals that the top branded schools for construction leadership are now perceived to be Iowa State, Clemson University and Cal Poly, San Louis Obispo. The strongest branded schools for best campus building and facilities are the University of New Mexico, University of Minnesota and the Savannah College of Art and Design. Leading practitioners in North America believe the top Canadian architecture programs are now the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University (Halifax) and Carleton University.

And now, onto the top five  twenty list for U.S. design schools in 2013. As you can see Cornell University continues to occupy the top spot for best undergraduate architecture program, a position it has held since 2005, while Harvard maintains it’s number one ranking for best graduate architecture school.

Top 20 Architecture, Graduate

• 1.Harvard University
• 2. Columbia University
• 3. Yale University
• 4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 5. Cornell University
• 6. Southern California Institute of Architecture
• 7. University of Virginia
• 7. University of California, Berkeley
• 9. Washington University in St. Louis
• 10. University of Cincinnati
• 11. University of Michigan
• 11. University of Texas at Austin
• 13. Kansas State University
• 14. University of Kansas
• 15. University of Pennsylvania
• 15. Rice University
• 15. Princeton University
• 18. Iowa State University
• 18. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 20. Clemson University
• 20. Savannah College of Art and Design

Top 20 Architecture, Undergraduate

• 1. Cornell University
• 2. Southern California Institute of Architecture
• 3. Rice University
• 3. Syracuse University
• 5. California Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo
• 6. University of Texas at Austin
• 7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 7. Rhode Island School of Design
• 9. Iowa State University
• 9. Auburn University
• 11. Pratt Institute
• 12. Carnegie Mellon University
• 13. University of Notre Dame
• 13. University of Oregon
• 13. Boston Architectural College
• 16. University of Southern California
• 16. Cooper Union
• 18. Pennsylvania State University
• 19. University of Arkansas
• 19. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Top 15 Landscape Architecture, Graduate

• 1. Harvard University
• 2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 3. Cornell University
• 3. Louisiana State University
• 5. University of Virginia
• 6. University of Pennsylvania
• 7. Pennsylvania State University
• 7. Rhode Island School of Design
• 7. Texas A&M University
• 10. University of California, Berkeley
• 11. Kansas State University
• 11. University of Georgia
• 13. Auburn University
• 13. University of Texas at Arlington
• 13. University of Texas at Austin
• 13. University of Washington

Top 15 Landscape Architecture, Undergraduate

• 1. Louisiana State University
• 2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 3. Pennsylvania State University
• 4. Kansas State University
• 5. Texas A&M University
• 6. Cornell University
• 7. Calif. Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• 7. Purdue University
• 7. University of Georgia
• 10. Ball State University
• 11. Iowa State University
• 11. Texas Tech University
• 13. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• 13. Michigan State University
• 13. Ohio State University

Top 10 Interior Design, Graduate

• 1. Savannah College of Art and Design
• 2. Rhode Island School of Design
• 3. Pratt Institute
• 4. Cornell University
• 4. Parsons The New School for Design
• 6. New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk Univ.*
• 6. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• 8. Boston Architectural College*
• 9. Kansas State University*
• 9. University of Oregon

Top 10 Interior Design, Undergraduate

• 1. Savannah College of Art and Design
• 2. University of Cincinnati
• 2. Rhode Island School of Design
• 4. Pratt Institute
• 5. Auburn University
• 6. University of Texas at Austin
• 6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 8. Boston Architectural College
• 8. Cornell University
• 8. Kansas State University
• 8 Parsons The New School for Design

Top 10 Industrial Design, Graduate

• 1 Art Center College of Design
• 2 Pratt Institute
• 2 Rhode Island School of Design
• 4 Arizona State University
• 4 Auburn University
• 4. Cranbrook Academy of Art
• 7. Georgia Institute of Technology
• 7. Ohio State University
• 7. Savannah College of Art and Design
• 7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Industrial Design, Undergraduate

• 1. Art Center College of Design
• 1. University of Cincinnati
• 3. Pratt Institute
• 3. Rhode Island School of Design
• 3. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 6. Auburn University
• 6. College for Creative Studies
• 6. Savannah College of Art and Design
• 9. Carnegie Mellon
• 9. Syracuse University