xAAAx

By news rankings or individual opinion, what would you say are the top 10 architectural schools for UNDERGRADUATEs. Just a regular or green architecture program and i want to know what are the best besides Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and the Ivies, but you can still include those

xAAAx

bump?
10char

pageturner

Other than Cornell, the Ivys are not the best architecture schools. A few have a BA or BS in architecture, but only Cornell has a BArch. This is a site that ranks the programs, but keep in mind that there are plenty of excellent architecture programs out there that are not on this list:

The Top 10 U.S. Undergraduate Degree Programs in Architecture - Students, Education, Architecture - Architect Magazine

sashimi46

These are some schools with strong reputations for producing outstanding graduates:

For B.Arch:

Cooper Union (good new york connections, theoretical, rigorous curriculum, great work)
Rice (small school, more regional, parametric design, preceptorship)
Cornell (theoretical, heavily focused in US and Europe, very strong alumni network esp in corporate firms)
Syracuse (many cornell alums teaching there, strong students and work)
USC (strong network for west region, good work)
UT Austin (good faculty)

redfern

Add the following 5-yr b arch schools to what "sashimi46" listed:
Carnegie mellon; notre dame; rpi; risd; pratt

copenhagen1221

Cal Poly SLO is an excellent program and doesn't put you into an unrecoverable state of debt.

taxguy

University of Cincinnati is top notch. You get GREAT work experience with their coop program. In fact, they were the first coop program in the nation. They have connections all over the US and in many foreign countries.

In addition, they participate in many national competitions. In fact, they just swept 7 out of the top 10 spots in a recent major US architecuture competition.

If this isn't enough, the tuition for University of Cincinnati is much less than most of the other schools, especially since most of the architecture kids get a renewable Cincinnatus Scholarship which is worth $5,000 or more for out of state students. Moreover, it isn't that hard to get instate tuition with proper planning starting in the second year.

simzcity

thanks the lists you gave me were really beneficial considering each website gives different universities..

does anyone know of any study-abroad opportunities in any of the universities you guys listed??

martyh

Notre Dame Students spend 3rd year in Rome.

sashimi46

most arch schools have study abroad opportunities. Traveling and exposing yourself to the world is a pretty important part of an architectural education.

cornell architecture has three centers-Ithaca, Rome, and New York with its own studio facilities and faculty teaching at all three centers. This gives students a lot of opportunity to expose themselves to different places and architectural practices. In Ithaca, you get the 'monastic' experience of rural Ithaca along with a very energetic faculty and school culture. In Rome you're exposed to a lot of European theory and history. In New York, you are able to expose yourself to a lot of the architectural scene there as well as network with the strong alumni network in the area.

We also have studios which go to different places around the world every summer. I was able to go to Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil with three Cornell professors after my third year.

davomp

So random question: i'm a freshman at mississippi state university and everyone i've talked to in the area (mississippi and surrounding states) has said that we have an excellent program and that it's recognized nationally. but i haven't seen anything about it in any discussions.. Am i going to have a job when i graduate?

Mom2Suns

DS1 is a freshman at Syracuse and loves it. Young, energetic, knowledgeable, and brilliant professors. Fast paced and a lot of work but good supportive environment. No slackers here. Very impressed and he knows he will learn quite a bit.

momoftwins

UIUC students have an option to spend junior year at the Versailles - considered the best architecture study abroad program.

archmom

Here is a link to an article in this month's "Architectural Record" magazine, which gives the 2010 rankings of both undergraduate and graduate architecture programs.
(Charts are on 2nd page of the article.)

The rankings are done by Design Intelligence Magazine, and are based on a fairly broad survey of active practicing architects, and the question that is asked is “which schools produce the best-qualified graduates”. So they are taken seriously and are much-talked about in the profession, with some firms using them as a guide to recruitment and hiring. Design Intelligence has been doing the rankings for about 10 years, and they keep improving their methodology to survey a larger and more diverse sample, both geographically and by the type/size of practice.

http://archrecord.construction.com/features/0911BestArchSchools/0911BestArchSchools-1.asp

KandKsmom

Thanks for posting that link archmom; it is interesting to see the breakdowns/charts in addition to the usual rankings.