Best Architecture Schools in the US (2024 Rankings)

Boardrooms and business suits? No thanks. If you want a job that lets you get creative while earning a good living, architecture might be a great fit. But if you want "Architect" on your LinkedIn profile, interior design skills alone won't cut it. You'll need at least an undergraduate degree (such as a Bachelor of Architecture or a bachelor's in civil engineering) to break into the field, but graduate students with advanced degrees have better chances.

To improve your odds of architecture career success, it will help to get your credentials from a well-recognized architecture program. That's where we can help. Below, we break down some of the top architecture schools in America, so you know where to set your sights as you prepare to leave high school.

Top 10 architecture schools in 2024

A thriving architecture career starts with the right education. The list below highlights the top college and university architecture degree programs in the U.S. 

All these schools have architecture programs that are accredited by ‌the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Basically, NAAB accreditation means the program meets all the standards you'll need for professional practice. 

With one of these names on your resume, it will be easier to get your foot in the door of the architecture field.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• Size: 4,638 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Four-year graduation rate: 88%

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT's School of Architecture has two undergraduate majors: a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Art and Design.

MIT's School of Architecture and Planning also has a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and a doctoral program in architecture. Specialty fields in the Ph.D. graduate program include building technology, computation, history, theory, and criticism of architecture and art.

Harvard University

• Size: 9,579 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Four-year graduation rate: 86%

One of the most famous schools in the world, Harvard has an excellent architecture program. Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard has an undergraduate architecture studies track within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (the humanities/liberal arts faculty). The History of Art and Architecture concentration is jointly run by the Graduate School of Design and the History of Art and Architecture Department.

To level up, go to the Graduate School of Design for your master's degree (M.Arch). The curriculum's methodology covers everything from urban planning to landscape architecture.

Rice University

• Size: 4,247 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 9%
• Four-year graduation rate: 87%

If northeastern winters make you cringe, head south to the Lone Star State. Rice University in Houston, TX, has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (B.Arch) program that teaches architecture essentials. The program includes a paid mentorship where you get real-world insights into what it's like to work in architecture.

Rice University also has a graduate master's program. The M.Arch general architecture program covers four main areas: technology, history/theory, design studio, and practice.

Cornell University

• Size: 15,503 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 9%
• Four-year graduation rate: 88%

If you're torn between completing a degree and traveling the world, we have news: you can do both. As an undergraduate student at Cornell University, you can complete a B.Arch degree on campus in gorgeous Ithaca, New York. During your third year, scratch your travel itch by studying in Rome, Italy, or New York City through one of Cornell's partner programs.

Cornell's graduate architecture programs offer diverse options, including a professional M.Arch, a post-professional Master of Science (M.S.) in Advanced Architectural Design, a post-professional M.S. in Urban Design, and a Ph.D. in the History of Architecture and Urban Development.

University of California, Berkeley

• Size: 31,814 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 14%
• Four-year graduation rate: 79%

Have you ever dreamed of California living? If Cali is calling your name, study architecture at UC Berkeley, located about six hours from Los Angeles. The school offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with an architecture concentration.

Once you complete your B.A. as an architecture student at Berkeley, you can enroll in the M.Arch program. The program keeps up with cutting-edge focal points: digital design media, environmental design, and sustainability.

Washington University

• Size: 8,034 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 13%
• Four-year graduation rate: 87%

Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, offers both a B.A. and a B.S. in architecture for undergrads. 

What's the difference? The B.A. gives you more wiggle room to take diverse classes to ensure that architecture is your passion. The B.S. is more focused and includes a senior-level design studio where you can showcase your skills. Plus, extra courses in the B.S. program cover interesting fields like landscape architecture and environmental systems.

Washington University also has an M.Arch; you can pair it with the Master of Landscape Architecture degree program and do both at once - double the fun (and the credentials).

Yale University

• Size: 6,536 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 5%
• Four-year graduation rate: 88%

If you want a name on your resume that everyone will recognize, Yale University is a sure shot. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, the undergraduate liberal arts major in architecture (B.A.) includes studios in urbanism and design.

Yale also has an M.Arch degree boasting cutting-edge tools like computer-assisted drawing. You'll learn design and visualization, technology and practice, and urbanism and landscape.

Princeton University

• Size: 5,321 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Four-year graduation rate: 90%

Located in New Jersey, Princeton University is another Ivy League school with major clout. Princeton's B.A. in architecture coursework includes building technologies, computing, and architectural analysis. The program concludes with a design studio.

Princeton's School of Architecture also has master's and doctoral degrees. The M.Arch is great if you want to work as a professional architect, while the Ph.D. opens up doors to academic careers.

Columbia University

• Size: 8,832 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 4%
• Four-year graduation rate: 88%

Located in New York City, Columbia University offers an undergraduate liberal arts degree (B.A.) with the option of an architecture major. You can tailor the broad curriculum to your interests; it covers everything from modeling to urban design.

Columbia also offers a master's degree in architecture. The M.Arch program focuses on three main areas: visual studies, building tech, and history and theory. You also complete practical work in a design studio, culminating in a final portfolio.

University of Pennsylvania

• Size: 11,292 undergraduate students
• Acceptance rate: 6%
• Four-year graduation rate: 89%

Located in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania has an undergraduate B.A. in Architecture and a professional B.Arch. The B.A. is a "pre-professional" program, while the B.Arch is more hands-on and gives students real-world experience. The B.A. track offers two concentrations: design or history, theory, and criticism.

The school also has diverse graduate degrees, including an M.Arch, a Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Advanced Architectural Design (MSD-AAD), and a Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD). If you're interested in teaching, there's also a Ph.D. option.

Honorable mentions

These didn't make our Top 10, but they're still well worth checking out:

• California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California
• The Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn, New York
• Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York
• Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies in Blacksburg, VA

Is architecture a good career?

Forget boring Excel spreadsheets and snooze-inducing meetings: architecture can be a fulfilling career that lets you explore your creativity. It also gives you options for advancement and work-life balance, as different paths and firms within the field vary widely in pace and workload.

Are architecture jobs high-paying?

If you're eyeing architecture as a career, you'll be happy to know it can pay pretty well. In 2023, architects were pulling in a median salary of $93,310 a year - that's about $45 an hour. Not too shabby, right? 

The future's looking bright, too. The field is growing faster than average, with a 5% job growth expected between 2022 and 2032. So, if you're creative, good with numbers, and like the idea of shaping the world around you, architecture could be a solid bet for a rewarding and well-paying career.

Let College Rover help you achieve your architecture career dreams

If you want to become an architect, the first step is getting into an architecture college or university. The above list includes some of the best colleges and universities in the field, from the Ivy League to state university options.

To get started, check out internships, mentorship opportunities, and advanced degrees to expand your career options and prepare for a career as a star architect. College Rover makes it easy to find the right educational path with our user-friendly database of schools. Once you've got your favorites, narrow them down with our college comparison tool and find your dream program.

College Rover gets the majority of its data directly from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The DOE publishing schedule "lags" the most current data which some colleges post on their official websites. This may cause there to be a difference in the data you see on College Rover and an individual college website. College Rover's website is updated as the DOE data becomes available and is configured for the College Rover website.