KU architecture graduate program moves up in national rankings

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Department of Architecture's masters of architecture program is ranked 14th out of the 99 universities offering graduate degrees in architecture, up three places from last year, according to a leading national survey of architecture firms.

The poll is found in the DesignIntelligence annual America's Best Architecture & Design Schools publication, the only ranking of National Architectural Accrediting Board-accredited architecture schools published in the United States. The poll surveys 282 architectural firms from around the country.

In addition, Midwest architecture firms ranked KU's graduate program No. 1 in the nation — ahead of schools such as Yale, Harvard, Columbia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Midwest region includes firms from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The survey asks participating firms to rank programs that "are best preparing students for success in the profession" based on factors such as design ability, proficiency in construction and sustainability, business acumen and leadership ability.

"This year's DesignIntelligence survey confirms that KU's masters of architecture program is among the best in the country," said John Gaunt, dean of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning. "To be ranked 14th nationally in the overall survey, and to be ranked No. 1 by Midwestern architecture firms in particular, speaks volumes about our faculty, staff and students."

Additionally, the DesignIntelligence survey named Dan Rockhill, the department's J.L. Constant Distinguished Professor of Architecture, one of the 30 most admired educators in the nation. Rockhill is widely known for heading Studio 804, a design-build program within the school. It designs and constructs a building of significant technical sophistication each year.

KU's rankings in the DesignIntelligence survey compare well to those of other schools in the prestigious 62-member American Association of Universities. Of the 32 AAU schools that have architecture graduate programs, KU ranks higher than 21 of them.

The survey is one of several DesignIntelligence annual reports published by Atlanta-based Greenway Communications. The company specializes in topics relevant to the architecture and building design professions.