The famous German-American architect had once said, “Architecture begins where engineering ends,” and for all the right reasons. While architecture and engineering may have evolved from the same root and were created to perform similar roles – they differed as technology evolved. Today, both streams have become equally popular among students who want to have a successful career.
Students who are seeking to pursue a career as a professional architect, should be aware that their responsibilities will primarily involve in designing design buildings and managing highly detailed construction projects.
Fortunately, there are several globally recognized institutions today that provide a plethora of courses in architecture. If you are planning to pursue the subject abroad, consider taking a look at these top institutions in the United States as per the recently released Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2025.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology secured an overall score 98.1 and ranked 2nd in the THE World University Rankings 2024. MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning has seven departments ranging from the Department of Architecture, Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), MIT Media Lab and the Program in Media Arts and Sciences (MAS), MIT Center for Real Estate (CRE), The Program in Art, Culture and Technology (ACT), Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism (LCAU), The MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD).
THE RANK |
NO. OF FTE STUDENTS |
NO. OF STUDENTS PER STAFF |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
FEMALE/MALE RATIO |
2 |
11,836 |
8.0 |
33% |
42 : 58 |
Ranked 2nd globally in the THE Rankings 2025, Harvard University is another globally recognized institution in the United States for Architecture studies. The overall score of Harvard University is 97.7.
THE RANK |
NO. OF FTE STUDENTS |
NO. OF STUDENTS PER STAFF |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
FEMALE/MALE RATIO |
3 |
22,584 |
10.0 |
25% |
|
In the third spot is Princeton University, ranked fourth and an overall score of 97.5. The Architecture and Engineering department provides undergraduate students to tackle topics at the intersection of engineering and architecture, including structural, computational, and environmental design, the university website states. The ranking is as follows:
THE RANK |
NO. OF FTE STUDENTS |
NO. OF STUDENTS PER STAFF |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
FEMALE/MALE RATIO |
4 |
8,378 |
7.8 |
23% |
47 : 53 |
The University of California, Berkeley is ranked eighth-best global institution and comes fourth among the top institutions in the United States. The overall score of UCB is 94.5. Undergraduate students can opt for Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, whereas graduate students are offered Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Advanced Architecture (MAAD), Master of Science in Architecture (MS) or PhD in Architecture.
THE RANK |
NO. OF FTE STUDENTS |
NO. OF STUDENTS PER STAFF |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
FEMALE/MALE RATIO |
8 |
42,423 |
18.7 |
25% |
52 : 48 |
Yale University is ranked 10th as per THE Rankings 2025, and has an overall score of 94.1. The university provides a plethora of courses for Architecture students. Prospective students can check courses on the official website at https://www.architecture.yale.edu/courses.
THE RANK |
NO. OF FTE STUDENTS |
NO. OF STUDENTS PER STAFF |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
FEMALE/MALE RATIO |
10 |
14,401 |
6.2 |
22% |
53 : 47 |