Ranking Architecture Schools: Is There a Better Way?

For the past 10 years, DesignIntelligence has published its rankings of schools in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial/product design.

For the first time this year, DI also determined the top 60 schools based on its decade’s worth of experience using an expanded slate of criteria. This ranking, called The Cramer Report: America’s World-Class Schools of Architecture, uses a multidimensional rankings that are based on five criteria:

1. Current rankings by professional practices based on the question: “From your recruiting experience in the past five years, what schools do you believe are best preparing students for professional practice?” (More than 200 leading firms employing tens of thousands of professionals participated in this year’s research.)

2. Historic 10-year rankings by professional practices, with greater weight place on more recent years’ rankings.

3. Rankings by academic department deans and chairs. (More than 100 academic programs participated in this year’s research.)

4. Overall campus environment and students evaluations. DI staff have visited all accredited campuses, and more than 900 students participated in the evaluations this year.

5. Program accreditation. Accreditation includes 141 programs in the United States. All have been visited by DI staff.

The maximum possible score for 2009 was found to be 485, and the top 60 programs scored within a range of 435 to 477. Four schools tied for first at a 477 level. They are:

• Columbia University
• Harvard University
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Yale University

(Read more about our methodology.)

For the upcoming 2010 world-class rankings, we will bring together an expert jury to advise editors on the above criteria and to develop further analysis that objectifies the subjective and subjectifies the objective. We will also be asking for possible new layers of analysis. For instance, should Architect Registration Exam pass rates be a criterion in the Cramer Report rankings? How about graduate or alumni evaluations?

DesignIntelligence is committed to continuous improvements in our rankings. We enjoy dialog on this issue from students, faculty, and administration, so please feel free to comment publically here or to e-mail your comments to our staff.

Best Schools logo

A couple of schools inquired about using the DesignIntelliegnce logo or cover in their press releases about making it in the America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools rankings. Austin did a really nice job creating a logo specifically for this purpose, which we sent out to ranking schools yesterday. It was already posted on the RISD blog this morning and looks great. Congratulations to all the ranking schools, by the way!