School of Architecture Ranked 20th in Nation and Included in List of World-Class Schools

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas School of Architecture ranked 20^th in the nation in the 10^th Annual Survey of America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools, a study conducted by the Design Futures Council and published in the November/December 2008 issue of Design Intelligence. The School of Architecture ranked 20^th among the top 20 undergraduate architecture programs, sharing this honor with Cooper Union, Oklahoma State University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The School of Architecture also was included with a rank of “notable distinction” in a new, comprehensive list of America’s World-Class Schools of Architecture compiled by James P. Cramer, editor of Design Intelligence. Cramer’s report listed programs that have distinguished themselves over time on the basis of rankings by professional firms, architecture deans and chairs and student evaluations, among other criteria.

This marks the first time that the University of Arkansas School of Architecture has been included on the top 20 list, although past issues of Design Intelligence have noted the number of national awards won by the school’s faculty.

“It’s nice to be recognized as one of the best schools in the country,” said Jeff Shannon, dean of the School of Architecture. “I’m glad that our faculty, students and staff are getting national recognition for their work.”

Shannon believes that the school has long merited inclusion in the survey, but was probably overlooked up to now because the survey tends to favor schools with a large alumni base in urban areas.

The survey, conducted in mid-2008, queried design professionals across the United States about the programs they considered best in preparing students for professional success. They were also asked to cite programs they considered best in educating and training for specific skills. The survey tapped more than 200 of the leading firms in the United States and had a response rate of more than 85 percent of the largest architecture and design firms in the nation. The survey also included high-caliber small- and medium-sized firms; deans and chairs from more than 100 academic programs, and more than 900 architecture students who completed surveys about their design education experience. For more information, visit Design Intelligence’s Web site at http://www.di.net/news/archive/2956/.