The high quality of the School of Architecture + Design’s programs has been recognized in the most recent professional design education rankings by DesignIntelligence, which publishes the only national college rankings focused exclusively on architecture and design. The 2016 rankings are based on survey responses from 2,237 U.S. firms and organizations employing architecture, design, and landscape architecture professionals that were asked, “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which schools are best preparing students for a future in the profession and designing a sustainable future?” The firms were also queried about additional issues, such as how programs rate in teaching various skills. In addition to the school rankings by professionals, surveys were conducted of deans and chairs from 109 academic programs, and more than 4,400 architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and industrial design students completed satisfaction surveys about their education, the data from which is presented separately from the practitioner rankings.

For 2016, Virginia Tech’s undergraduate Architecture program is ranked 3rd in the nation, ranking in the top five for nine of the last ten years. The B.Arch. program is also ranked #1 in the South. The graduate Architecture program is ranked 9th in the nation and #2 in the South. In the skills assessment, the architecture programs are rated #3 nationally in the area of Construction Methods & Materials and among the top ten for Computer Applications, Communication Skills, Cross-disciplinary Teamwork, Sustainable Design Practices & Principles, and Research. In the Deans’ Survey, the undergraduate Architecture program is recognized as the 5th most admired program nationally, for “its advanced technology and the quality of the faculty and program.”

The undergraduate Landscape Architecture program is ranked #13 in the nation and 4th in the South. In the Deans’ Survey, the undergraduate Landscape Architecture program is recognized as the 5th most admired program nationally. In the student survey, 100 percent of landscape architecture students from Virginia Tech reported that they believe they will be well prepared for their profession upon graduation.

The undergraduate program in Interior Design is ranked 3rd in the South. In the skills assessment, the interior design program is rated #4 nationally in the area of Construction Materials & Methods.

The undergraduate program in Industrial Design is ranked 5th in the South. In the skills assessment, the industrial design program is rated #5 nationally in the area of Construction Materials & Methods.

Prof. Aki Ishida has been included in this year’s list of the 25 most admired design educators from across the U.S., the report highlighting that she “is invested in and encourages independent exploration by pushing the students of her studio to consider all factors in design by developing unique prompts to build focus on different aspects of design.”

Source: DesignIntelligence: America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2016, Report 261: Vol. 21, No. 6; November/December 2015.

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Past rankings: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004