Virginia Tech among the Best in Architecture and Design

Virginia Tech (Wikipedia)

Once again, the Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design was highly visible among a select group of  America’s Best Architecture and  Design Schools study conducted by DesignIntelligence in conjunction with the Greenway Group.

In the only national college rankings focused exclusively on design, Virginia Tech made appearances among the top 20 architecture programs (graduate and undergraduate) as well as on the top lists for landscape architecture (graduate and undergraduate), interior design, and industrial design.

programs recognized in the annual

The only other local school to make an appearance was the University of Virginia Graduate School of Architecture, which tied with UC Berkeley for number 7 on the graduate school ranking.

As in previous years, the DesignIntelligence survey tapped professional practice leaders who have direct experience hiring and evaluating the performance of recent architecture and design graduates.

For the four professions surveyed—architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, and interior design—392 private practice organizations participated in the study which analyzes those college and university programs that have best prepared students for professional practice.

This year’s DesignIntelligence rankings also introduced results from a study of the strongest “branded” schools in 22 categories.  For example, the top branded schools for construction leadership were perceived to be Iowa State, Clemson, and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  The strongest branded schools for best campus building and facilities were the University of New Mexico, University of Minnesota, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

In the sampling of architecture school brand strengths,” Virginia Tech’s architecture program was identified as strong in the following areas: “Crystal Clear Vision,” “Making a Strong Global Statement,” “Strong Integrator of Design Disciplines,” and “Environmental Stewardship.”

Earlier in the year, DesignIntelligence honored 30 “most admired” educators from the disciplines of architecture, industrial design, interior design, and landscape architecture for 2013.  Among those cited for excellence in education and education administration were Robert Dunay of Virginia Tech, Beth Meyer of the University of Virginia, and Sharran Parkinson of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The top undergraduate architecture programs for 2013 according to DesignIntelligence are:

• Cornell University (1st for 8 of the last 10 years)
• Southern California Institute for Architecture
• Rice University and Syracuse University (tied)
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• University of Texas at Austin
• Virginia Tech and Rhode Island School of Design
• Iowa State University and Auburn University

Top undergraduate landscape architecture programs include:

• Louisiana State University
• Virginia Tech
• Penn State
• Kansas State University
• Texas A&M
• Cornell University
• California Polytechnic State University, Purdue University, and University of Georgia (tied)
• Ball State University

Top undergraduate interior design programs:

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
• University of Cincinnati and Rhode Island School of Design (tied)
• Pratt Institute
• Auburn University
• University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Tech
• Boston Architectural College, Cornell, Kansas State, and Parsons

And the top undergraduate industrial design programs cited by DesignIntelligence are:

• Art Center College of Design and the University of Cincinnati (tied)
• Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, and Virginia Tech
• Auburn, College for Creative Studies, and SCAD
• Carnegie Mellon and Syracuse

Keep in mind that like any other "ranking," these lists represent one organization's opinions and should provide little more than “food for thought” or a starting place for a more thorough investigation of programs.