The College of Architecture, Planning and Design at K-State continued its record of high rankings in the November/December 2012 issue of Design Intelligence magazine entitled “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools 2013.” 

In the newest edition of the magazine, K-State placed 13th in the architecture graduate program, 11th in the landscape architecture graduate program and 9th in the interior design graduate program. 

Ann Huynh, sophomore in architecture, said being an architecture student means late nights and several long, detailed projects.  However, she added that the professors make sure students are constantly learning more every day. 

“They push us to the limit so that you can do the best you can,” Huynh said. “It’s nice because some of the teachers have different focuses and different expectations, so you have freedom to see what you are best at and what the best technique is for yourself.” 

This is the fifth time in the last five years the graduate program in architecture has been ranked in the top 20, and the fourth time it has been ranked in the top 15. 

The 2013 edition, unlike the 2012 edition, took into account undergraduate programs, and, according to an email interview with Tim de Noble, professor and dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design, K-State no longer has an undergraduate architecture program. 

The undergraduate programs for landscape architecture and interior design, according to de Noble, both placed in the top 10 for 2013. 

In 2012, K-State placed fifth in graduate programs for architecture, following only Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Washington University. Below K-State in this category are schools such as Cornell and MIT. 

K-State’s undergraduate programs in interior architecture design and landscape design were ranked in the top eight in the design magazine. 

When comparing the rankings of other colleges in the Skills Assessment Section of the magazine in 2012, K-State ranked in the top five in seven of eight categories. No other public or private university was in the top five in more than five categories on the list, according to de Noble. 

The programs offered by the college aim to give students the chance to get ready for the world of employment. 

“The college has provided us with opportunities to meet future employers, such as the Design Expo, and they help us prepare by providing mock interviews and portfolio classes throughout the year,” said Logan Carlyle, junior in architecture. 

Carlyle said that due to the college’s low teacher-to-student ratio, each student is personally taught, motivating students to work harder.

The Design Intelligence Special Report on Architecture School Tuition and Fees 2012-2013 said K-State is the 15th least expensive program in the nation when considering in-state tuition and the 14th least expensive program when considering out-of-state tuition. 

K-State also has the least expensive architecture program ranked in the magazine.

De Noble said he hopes for the college to remain as successful as it has been so far and to continue to improve its programs as time goes on. 

“We will continue to focus on the role of design and planning professionals as leaders in our society,” de Noble said. 

De Noble added that the rankings reflect the willingness and drive of the students, as well as the dedication and supportive nature the faculty and staff have demonstrated over the years.

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