For the past 19 years, DesignIntelligence has conducted a yearly survey across the design industry regarding architecture-school rankings. The number of valid responses from hiring managers of architecture and design-professional firms typically range between 2,600 and 3,200, year after year.
This year, DesignIntelligence had more than 4,500 valid responses, which may reflect the urgency of improving architectural education. The 2019 ranking carried no surprises, with Cornell undergraduate and Harvard graduate schools keeping their top positions on both lists, the same positions since 2017. Among the graduate programs, four schools are new to the Top 10. Princeton jumped from number 22 last year to number 6 this year. Rice University went from number 16 to number 7; Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) moved from number 13 to number 9; and the University of Michigan advanced from number 11 last year to occupy the number 10 spot this year. The movement across the Top 10 Best Architecture Schools had some nice surprises. In the undergraduate-program category, Cooper Union jumped from number 15 last year to number 5 this year. Rice University rose from number 6 last year to number 2 this year.
Among the graduate programs, four schools are new to the Top 10. Princeton jumped from number 22 last year to number 6 this year. Rice University went from number 16 to number 7; Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) moved from number 13 to number ...