Los Angeles has long been a cradle for innovative architectural thinking. As a result, the Los Angeles area is not only filled with many architecturally significant sites, but is also home to some of the world's leading architectural institutions. This weekend, four of the region's schools of architecture will be participating in the Architecture and Design (A+D) museum's The Los Angeles Schools exhibition, a showcase of institutional pedagogies and the student work those ideas generate. 

The exhibition aims to showcase Los Angeles's position as a pivotal node for architectural research, production, and exploration both in United States and internationally, as well. 

Archinect has compiled statistics on the four participating schools and their respective academic programs to highlight the important role each plays in bolstering the region's reputation as a design-forward metropolis.

(Editors note: A range of regional schools of architecture were asked to participate in the exhibition but several could not for a variety of reasons).

University of Southern California (USC)

Type: Private

Tuition: $57,256 / year (graduate and undergraduate) 

Demographics: 59% Female, 41 Male

National Ranking: #2 most-hired from architecture school (>100 graduates)

Size: 310 graduate students / 410 undergraduate students

Program Leadership: Milton S. F. Curry (Dean) and Vittoria Di Palma (Associate Dean)

USC School of Architecture offers a variety of academic programs, including undergraduate architecture, M.Arch I, Master of Landscape Architecture, and Master of Heritage Conservation degrees. The school has a long history of being at the forefront of architectural innovation. Notable graduates include: Frank Gehry, Paul R. Williams, and Thom Mayne.

Cal Poly LA Metro

Type: Public

Tuition: $9,942

Demographics: N/A

National Ranking: 2nd most-hired from school of architecture (70-99 graduates)

Size: 30 students

Program Leadership: Stephen Phillips (Program Director)

A branch of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo School of Architecture, The Los Angeles Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design “immerses aspiring architects in a multicultural urban setting--rich with amazing learning, practicing, and networking opportunities” by engaging with  local architects, alumni, and Los Angeles’s cultural institutions. The program represents a two-quarter suite of courses that delves into LA ‘s history, practices, and design issues. 

UCLA Architecture and Urban Design 

Type: Public

Tuition: $17,272.28 (M.Arch: $29,517.28 for non-California residents; tuition rates vary by program)

Demographics: 45% female, 55% male; 13% "underrepresented minorities"

National Ranking: 7th most-hired from architecture school (20-49 graduates)

Size: 250 students (both graduate and undergraduate)

Program Leadership: Brett Steele (Dean) and Heather Roberge (Department Chair)

A part of UCLA's School of the Arts and Architecture, the research-based program is invested in student collaboration both within the school and among other UCLA-based institutions. The school offers degree tracks across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral lines, including the only Ph. D in Architecture track in Los Angeles. UCLA AUD also offers a post-professional degree via the school's IDEAS campus. 

Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

Type: Private

Tuition: $46,492 / year

Demographics: 41% female, 59% male

National Ranking: 1st and 4th in Design Technologies (undergraduate, graduate).

Size: 500 students

Program Leadership: Hernan Diaz Alonso (Director)

The Southern California Institute of Architecture enjoys a reputation for cutting-edge architectural production, etherial visualizations, and increasingly, narrative-based architectural experiences. Ever a site for explosive experimentation, SCI-Arc offers a series of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs, including M.Arch 1 and M.Arch 2 degrees. The school's SCI-Arc EDGE Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture program offers MS degrees in Architectural Technologies, Design of Cities, Fiction and Entertainment, and Design Theory and Pedagogy.