Georgia Institute of Technology
College of Architecture
Atlanta
coa.gatech.edu

B.S.Arch., M.ARCH, M.S.Arch. with concentrations in: architecture/engineering/construction integration, classical design, digital design and fabrication, geographic information systems, high performance buildings, health and design, urban design; Ph.D. (see website for more master’s degree offerings and doctoral concentrations)

For the past 10 years, freshmen in Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture—which offers B.S. programs in architecture, building construction, and industrial design—have taken the same foundational courses before setting off on their chosen degree tracks. The Common First Year has come to define the student experience so much that the College of Architecture is now reassessing its undergraduate curriculum in hopes of providing even more opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning, especially with engineering and the sciences. The college’s Building Construction program has nearly doubled in size in recent years; its research arm, the Construction Resource Center, studies AEC best practices and integration. Faculty members singled out digital fabrication as a strong point: The Advanced Wood Products Laboratory is “the best facility in the country,” one instructor said.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. SAT: 1345; Applied: 700; Accepted: 317; Enrolled: 133
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 36%; Female: 48%; International: 6%; Financial aid: 77%
Graduate Admissions: Avg. GRE: 1210 / Min.: 930; Avg. GPA: 3.47 / Min.: 2.7; Applied: 213; Accepted: 84; Enrolled: 52
Student/Faculty Ratio: 10:1
Tuition: Undergraduate, $6,070 (resident), $24,280 (nonresident); Graduate, M.Arch. rate, $10,874 (resident), $28,946 (nonresident)

New York Institute of Technology
School of Architecture & Design
New York and Old Westbury, N.Y.
nyit.edu/architecture

Associate in Applied Science, Architectural Technology (A.A.S.), B.S. Architectural Technology, B.ARCH., M.Arch. in Urban and Regional Design

A school that’s dedicated to producing career-ready graduates, NYIT shares the same basic mission as Drexel University and Boston Architectural College—but at NYIT’s School of Architecture & Design, technology rather than work experience is seen as the key to a successful professional future. Technology is taught at NYIT as the path to both a sustainable built environment and an efficient practice: The school participated in the Solar Decathlon in 2005 and 2007, and it offers, for B.S.A.T. students, concentrations in construction management, energy management, and business administration. Fourth-year B.S.A.T. students must complete a capstone Project Integration Studio, in which all aspects of design and technology are coordinated.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. SAT: 1004; Applied: 895; Accepted: 740; Enrolled: 320
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 50%; Female: 27%; International: < 9%; Financial aid: 87%
Graduate Admissions: GRE: not required
Student/Faculty Ratio: N/A
Tuition: Undergraduate, $23,380; Graduate, $825 per credit

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
School of Architecture
Troy, N.Y.
arch.rpi.edu

B.ARCH., M.ARCH., M.S. (in Architectural Acoustics, Built Ecologies, or Lighting), Ph.D. in Architectural Sciences

There’s nothing quite like the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE), Rensselaer’s new initiative with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that investigates next-generation sustainable building technologies. CASE, which has a second location in New York City, forms the basis of the M.S. in Built Ecologies instruction. The Lighting Research Center is the world’s largest university-based research institute devoted to lighting, and the Acoustics Research Lab houses state-of-the-art acoustics equipment. Along with a spirit of technological exploration, the School of Architecture cultivates an international outlook in its students: There are semester-long programs in India, Italy, and China.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. SAT: 1283; Avg. ACT: 27; Applied: 529; Accepted: 229; Enrolled: 67
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 13%; Female 57%; International <1%; Financial aid: 96%
Graduate Admissions: Avg. GRE: 544 verbal / 697 quantitative / 4.2 analytical; Avg. GPA: 3.3; Applied: 108; Accepted: 58; Enrolled: 34
Student/Faculty Ratio: 10:1
Tuition: $38,100

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Architecture
Champaign, Ill.
arch.uiuc.edu

B.S. Arch. Studies, M.ARCH., M.ARCH./MBA, M.ARCH./Master of Urban Planning, M.ARCH./Master of Civil Engineering, Ph.D.

Illinois is home to one of the oldest architecture programs in the country (founded in 1869), but don’t let that fool you: Its architecture school is driving innovation in building technology. Unusually (perhaps uniquely), the school’s faculty divides itself into four sections—Design, Practice & Technology, Structures, and History & Preservation—and can count, across them, an impressive number of engineers, such as mechanical engineer Richard Strand, developer of the EnergyPlus software. The Building Research Council within the school conducts advanced research for the benefit of the public; recent studies include a HUD-funded investigation into pollutants from unvented gas fireplaces.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. SAT: 1276 / Min.: 1080; Avg. ACT: 28.6 / Min.: 21; Applied: 511; Accepted: 299; Enrolled: 127
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 23%; Female: 43%; International: 7%; Financial aid: N/A
Graduate Admissions: GRE: not required; Avg. GPA: 3.5; Applied: 463; Accepted: 173; Enrolled: 77
Student/Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Tuition: Undergraduate, $10,732 (resident), $24,874 (nonresident); Graduate, $10,358 (resident), $23,624 (nonresident)