Brazil, United States, Japan, and Australia are some of the countries that have the best architecture colleges in the world.
However, only 200 were selected as the best. To form this list, criteria such as academic reputation and reputation in the labor market were evaluated.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States, won first place for the fourth consecutive year, obtaining a score of 100 in all aspects. Brazil is present in the ranking with the course of architecture and urban planning at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, both appear in the list of the world’s best architecture colleges in 28th and 80th place respectively.
Still here, in South America, close to us, are Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Universidad de Chile. The sisters occupy the 33rd, 78th, and 79th positions of the ranking, respectively.
Asian colleges are strong in the QS ranking. Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea have institutions that are among the top 100 colleges of architecture in the world. On the African continent, the reality is quite different, only the University of Cape Town in South Africa appears on the list.
The other positions are the European countries, with emphasis on Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Check below the top 10 of the best architecture colleges in the world and, next, the complete list of colleges selected by QS:
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – United States
The best of the best architectural colleges in the world is located in the US state of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). One of the institute’s greatest highlights is the wide investment in new technologies. Founded in 1867, MIT is a reference in studies and research in the field of architecture and engineering.
Among his most famous students is the architect Ieoh Ming Pei, responsible for the expansion of the Louvre Museum and the Le Grand Louvre pyramids, located in the center of the museum. It was also from MIT that 77 winners of the Nobel Prize came out.
2. UCL (University College London) – United Kingdom
British University College London, second in the ranking, was the first higher-level institution to set up in London and currently has 29 Nobel Prizes. The faculty of architecture is based on interdisciplinarity combined with other courses.
UCL is responsible for developing the method of spatial syntax, a teaching method that analyzes how a project – architectural or urbanistic – can affect the social environment.
3. Delft University of Technology – Netherlands
The third place in the ranking of the best architecture colleges in the world goes to the Dutch Delft University Of Technology. With one of the largest campuses in the world – 18 thousand m² – the institution offers students a complete infrastructure. The architecture course at Delf University is based on three pillars: design, technology, and society.
4. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology – Switzerland
Switzerland appears in fourth place in the list of the best colleges in the world with ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The institution is a major reference in the world and is among the best in Europe. Out of curiosity, Albert Einstein, a notable scientist of our time, was a student at ETH Zurich.
The architecture course at ETH Zurich is famous for theoretical research and a focus on specialization in construction and technological techniques.
5. The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) – United States
Another American for the list. The University of California ranks fifth on the list of the best architectural colleges in the world. However, the architecture course is an arm within the teaching of environmental design. At Berkeley, the student has the option of studying the history of architecture and urbanism or environmental design with a focus on developing countries. Another differential of the university is the equipment and accessories used, most of which are sustainable.
6. Harvard University – United States
The architecture course at the famous Harvard University occupies the 6th place in the ranking. Located in the state of Massachusetts, Harvard University is one of the most prestigious and oldest institutions in the world, founded in 1636. The university’s architecture course emphasizes contemporary design techniques and includes design, history, and technology studies in the curriculum.
7. Manchester School of Architecture – United Kingdom
The Manchester School of Architecture, located in England, is the result of the union between the architecture departments of the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). The institution’s highlight is due to the interdisciplinary architectural research that covers areas such as urban design, urban development, and ecological design, for example.
8. University of Cambridge – United Kingdom
Eighth is the University of Cambridge, England. One of the oldest institutions in the world, founded in 1209, it has one of the most internationally renowned architecture courses. Cambridge’s architecture course, somewhat conservative and traditional, prioritizes areas such as theory and history. However, the institution has one of the most mixed architecture courses in existence. There are 300 students from 55 different nationalities.
9. Politecnico di Milano – Italy
Italy, the cradle of famous and world-renowned artistic styles, such as the classic and the Renaissance, points in 9th place with the architecture course at the Politecnico di Milano. The public university is considered one of the best in the areas of engineering, architecture, and industrial design.
10. National University of Singapore (NUS) – Singapore
The National University of Singapore is the only Asian representative in the ranking of the best architecture colleges in the world. In 2018, the institution’s architecture department completed 60 years. At first, the architecture course was just an embryonic phase of the Polytechnic Institute of Singapore. It was only in 1969 that it became a complete course.
In 2000, the course underwent a restructuring and was renamed the Faculty of Architecture, Construction, and Real Estate in the Department of Architecture of the School of Design and Environment (SDE).
Currently the course offers a huge variety of programs that include landscape architecture, urban design, urban planning, and integrated sustainable design. It is not for nothing that he reached the number ten position of the best architecture courses in the world.
