Mississippi State University
College of Architecture, Art, and Design
School of Architecture
Mississippi State, Miss.
caad.msstate.edu/caad_web/sarc/home.php

B.Arch., M.S. Arch.

At Mississippi’s only NAAB-accredited program, research arises from and depends on outreach. Four different initiatives—the Carl Small Town Center, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio in Biloxi (dedicated to rebuilding after Katrina), the Jackson Community Design Center, and the Educational Design Institute (investigating school facilities design)—place community design at the center of pedagogy. The fifth year of B. Arch. instruction takes place in the urban setting of Jackson. Following their third or fourth year, students may choose to fulfill one year of IDP requirements through a co-op experience.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. ACT: 26; Applied: 225; Accepted: 50; Enrolled: 45
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 11%; Female 40%; International 2%; Financial aid: N/A
Graduate Admissions: Applied: 23; Accepted: 6; Enrolled: 5
Student/Faculty Ratio: 16:1
Tuition: Undergraduate and graduate, $5,151 (resident), $13,020.50 (nonresident)

Tulane University
School of Architecture
New Orleans
architecture.tulane.edu

M.Arch. (undergraduate & graduate paths), Master of Preservation Studies

The Tulane School of Architecture has been rooted in the city of New Orleans since its founding in 1894, but the singular event of Hurricane Katrina redefined—and catalyzed—the school’s mission. Since 2005, the Tulane City Center community outreach arm has completed 44 projects in the city, with 20 more under way now at various stages. The URBANBuild design/build program partners with Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans to provide prototypical homes for city families. Historic preservation, long a teaching and research strength of the school, takes on a new urgency in the context of post-Katrina rehabilitation efforts.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. SAT: 1916 (2400-point scale) / Min.: 1420; Avg. ACT: 34; Min.: 26; Avg. GPA: 3.5; Applied: 1,101; Accepted: 319; Enrolled: 90
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 23%; Female 50%; International 5%; Financial aid: 75%
Graduate Admissions: Avg. GRE: N/A; Avg. GPA: 3.6; Applied: 180; Accepted: 70; Enrolled: 32
Student/Faculty Ratio: 11:1
Tuition: $39,600; M.P.S. tuition, $19,800

University of Arkansas
Fay Jones School of Architecture
Department of Architecture
Fayetteville, Ark.
architecture.uark.edu

B.Arch., B.S. Arch Studies

Named for AIA Gold Medalist and longtime professor Fay Jones, the University of Arkansas’ architecture school encompasses the study of architecture and landscape architecture as well as a nationally recognized community-design center. That center, UACDC, has recently engaged in projects such as planning a light-rail system for Northwest Arkansas and rethinking the big-box store, and has won more than 40 awards since 2005. Fourth-year students at Arkansas spend a semester in Rome; incoming students are required to take the Leadership by Design course, which promotes a balance of self-care, ethics, and leadership in design education. A concentration in architectural history is offered, as are design/build opportunities.

Undergraduate Admissions: Avg. ACT: 26.4 / Min.: 20; Avg. GPA: 3.58 / Min.: 2.75; Applied: 372; Accepted: 293; Enrolled: 121
Undergraduate Demographics: Minority: 18%; Female 29%; International 9%; Financial aid: The school provides around $90,000/year to students in scholarships and awards
Student/Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Tuition: $5,010 (resident), $13,887.30 (nonresident)