According to the ACSA or Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 125 schools in Canada and the United States offer degrees in architecture. While any of these schools can ready a student for a career in architecture, the student will also need to be licensed in order to practice professionally. Licensing requirements are set by states and municipalities in order to ensure the safety of the people. In most cases, an architecture license requires 5-7 years of schooling, a three-year internship, and passage of a detailed exam. Here are some things to consider when choosing a school, as well as a current list of the best architecture schools.
When searching for a school, you'll need to keep in mind that the school itself is not accredited by either the NCARB or the CCAC (in Canada). Rather, the program that the school offers is what is accredited. Be sure to follow all the program's requirements and take the correct accredited courses, in order to receive your architecture license.
Also, the NAAB doesn't accredit programs at new architecture schools until they've graduated their first class. If the program earns accreditation after that, the accreditation goes back for two years. Not all architecture students will wish to become licensed; some decide to manage architects' offices or become a landscape architect. There are a lot of career options for architecture school graduates.
Here are some rankings for architecture schools; one is by DesignIntelligence and one is via the Greenway Group. First, the Greenway rankings:
1. NY's Cornell University
2. NY's Syracuse University
3. CA's Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo
4. VA's Polytechnic Institute and State University of Blacksburg
5. TX's University of Texas
6. Kansas State University
7. University of Oregon
8. Rhode Island School of Design of Providence
9. Houston Texas' Rice University
10. Los Angeles' University of Southern California
Now, the DesignIntelligence rankings:
1. Ithaca, NY's Cornell University
2. Syracuse, NY's Syracuse University
3. Houston Texas' Rice University
4. San Luis Obispo, CA's Cal State Polytechnic
5. Blacksburg, Virginia's Virgina Polytechnic Institute
6. Los Angeles' CA's Southern California Institute of Architecture
7. Pittsburgh, PA's Carnegie Mellon University
8. Austin, TX's University of Texas at Austin
9. Brooklyn, NY's Pratt Institute
10. Los Angeles' University of Southern California
When you are drawing up your short list of schools, you'll want to be sure that your school is accredited if you want to become licensed. You'll also need to consider which area you're going into: planning and analysis, computer applications, communications, construction materials and methods, and sustainable design practices. Since architecture is a highly specialized field, you should consult with architectural firms in your chosen area to see which degrees that they want their applicants to have.