As Architecture Program Improves on Previous Top 25 Placement, BFA in Interior Architecture Achieves Highest National Ranking Since 2009

LOS ANGELES (October 24, 2016) –  Moving up in the national rankings, the undergraduate architecture program at Woodbury University’s School of Architecture is among the top 25 nationally for the second year in a row, the university announced today.  At the same time, Woodbury’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture was ranked 15th in the nation – a dramatic rise for the program, considering the large pool of interior architecture programs in the U.S. and the high density of architecture schools in the region.

The Bachelor of Architecture program was rated 23rd in the 2017 DesignIntelligence survey of the nation’s Top 35 undergraduate architecture programs, rising one spot from the 2016 rankings.  There are more than 140 accredited undergraduate architecture programs in the United States alone, and Woodbury’s program has moved up in the rankings on a consistent basis.  With campuses in Los Angeles and San Diego, this hands-on, practical curriculum prioritizes current issues such as sustainability, civic engagement and new technologies.

The rise of the Interior Architecture program is even more remarkable given that the program has not placed nationally since 2009-10, and is ranked 15th out of a pool of more than 190 accredited interior programs in the country.  Through engaged faculty-student interaction, Woodbury’s Interior Architecture program prepares students to tackle theoretical debates and to develop their own unique design voices.

“This is a tremendous achievement and testament to the extraordinary teaching taking place at Woodbury School of Architecture,” said Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter, AIA, Interim Dean of the School of Architecture. “Transformed by their education, our students and alumni are making a difference in the world, and people are noticing.  Congratulations to our students and alumni, our faculty and staff, in Los Angeles and San Diego."

 “The new DesignIntelligence rankings affirm the School of Architecture’s position as a destination of choice for students throughout the profession,” said Dr. David Steele-Figueredo, Woodbury University President.  “Historically, the School has not only trained exceptional, civic-minded practitioners but successfully advanced the state of the art in architecture education.”

“As an architecture firm that has hired Woodbury School of Architecture graduates in the past, I am not surprised about these tremendous rankings for the school,” said Amy L. Williams, AIA, LEED AP, Managing Principal and Vice President, HDR.  “The Woodbury graduates have been superb and came with an excellent and well-rounded, creative and hands-on skill set which speaks for the high quality of the Woodbury curriculum when it comes to preparing students for the architecture profession.”

In 2015, Woodbury’s Architecture program was accepted by the National Council of Architects Registration Boards (NCARB) as one of only fourteen schools in the country whose students will now have an opportunity to achieve architectural licensure upon graduation.  Woodbury is the only school of architecture where the IPAL program is available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Assessing undergraduate and graduate programs across the country, the DesignIntelligence annual report ranks the Best Architecture Schools in the U.S.  As part of its 17th edition, the survey queried nearly 1,500 professional practice organizations.  DI asked this of architecture firms: “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which of the following schools are best preparing students for success in the profession?”  The 2017 rankings combined survey responses with detailed accounts of the best programs that teach skills in design, communication, sustainability and technology.

Woodbury University’s School of Architecture is a network of hubs strategically sited within the Southern California megalopolis: Burbank/Los Angeles, San Diego and Hollywood. Together, these sites form a critical infrastructure for architectural investigations. The school’s undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture and interior architecture train students as entrepreneurs, architect citizens, and cultural builders. 

About Woodbury University

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California.  The university ranks 15th among the nation’s “25 Colleges That Add the Most Value,” according to Money Magazine, and is a 2016-17 College of Distinction.  With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture.  The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as a Master of Architecture degree with a concentration in Real Estate Development.  Visit woodbury.edu for more information.

Media Contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

(323) 469-3397

ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com