The College of Architecture’s industrial design program is among the best in the nation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the architecture graduate program remained in the top 20 for the second consecutive year according to rankings compiled by Design Intelligence magazine. In addition, the College had two faculty members – Doug Allen and Wayne Li – named to the 30 Most Admired Educators list.

In the 2015 “America’s Best Architectural and Design Schools” edition, the Industrial Design undergraduate program entered the list for the first time at No. 7 while the graduate program rose to second place, tied with Art Center College of Design (California). The Architecture graduate program maintained its top 20 ranking, coming in at No. 20. These rankings place all programs among the top schools in the South.

“We’re thrilled at the leaps the industrial design program has made in this year’s rankings. The energy level and quality of work in the School is off the chart, and the rankings certainly reflect that,” said Steve French, dean of the College of Architecture. “These rankings are important because they improve the employment prospects for our students and help us in recruiting the most promising students. We look forward to continuing to climb in the rankings, with the goal of having every one of our programs in the top 10 over the next few years.”   

Design Intelligence administers the only comprehensive ranking of  architecture and design programs in the United States. The rankings are based on the input of professionals in architectural and design firms, school deans and chairs, and student surveys. Design Intelligence’s Best Architectural and Design Schools issue is available online at www.di.net and in print.