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2023 Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools

115 Colleges
$49,602 Avg Salary
$25,146 Avg Student Debt

In 2020-2021, 6,944 people earned a degree or certificate in architecture and related services, making the major the #22 most popular in the United States.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. This report analyzed 115 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Check out the architecture and related services programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our analysis found University of Notre Dame to be the best school for architecture and related services students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

Full Architecture & Related Services at University of Notre Dame Report

The excellent programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best architecture and related services schools in the United States. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Full Architecture & Related Services at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Report

#3

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Out of the 115 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

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#4

Yale University

New Haven, CT

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Yale University is a great place for architecture and related services students. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of New Haven.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best architecture and related services programs. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#7

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

With a ranking of #7, Harvard University did quite well on this year’s best schools for architecture and related services students. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at Harvard University

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the city of Berkeley.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at University of California - Berkeley

University of Southern California ranked #9 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Architecture & Related Services at University of Southern California Report

#10

New York University

New York, NY

New York University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at New York University

#11

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

Drexel University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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#12

Rice University

Houston, TX

Rice University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston.

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Newschool of Architecture and Design came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. Located in the large city of San Diego, Newschool of Architecture and Design is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at Newschool of Architecture and Design

North Carolina State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. NC State is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh.

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With a ranking of #15, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on this year’s best schools for architecture and related services students. Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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#16

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Architecture & Related Services at Virginia Tech Report

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #17 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Located in the city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

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Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools award.

Rank College Location
18 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
19 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
20 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
21 Auburn University Auburn, AL
22 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
23 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA

View the Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Major Annual Graduates
Architectural Sciences & Technology 3,366
Urban & Regional Planning 1,613
General Architecture 1,096
Landscape Architecture 285
Real Estate Development 223
Interior Architecture 169
Environmental Design 114
Architectural History 45
Architecture (Other) 33

Related Major Annual Graduates
Engineering 61,791
Computer & Information Sciences 60,971
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 28,851
Mathematics & Statistics 15,127
Physical Sciences 12,705

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Lorenzo Cafaro.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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