Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Professional design firms value Kansas State University graduates, according to rankings in the America's Best Architecture & Design Schools issue of DesignIntelligence, a bimonthly magazine.

Published by the Design Futures Council, the magazine ranks the Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning & Design's interior architecture & product design graduate program No. 7 in the nation and the college's landscape architecture graduate program No. 8 in the nation.

In the Midwest region, the college's interior architecture & product design graduate program and the landscape architecture graduate program are both ranked No. 1. The architecture graduate program is ranked No. 4.

The rankings are determined from surveys sent to professional design firms and corporations that asked employers to evaluate which educational programs best prepared their newest employees for success in the profession. More than 1,400 professional organizations participated in this year's survey.

"The College of Architecture, Planning & Design has set high standards that engage a student's mind and encourage creativity," said Kirk Schulz, university president. "This ranking is confirmation that students graduate from the university with talent that is greatly valued by employers and places the university one step closer to becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025."

"The consistently lofty recognition of our programs over the years is a clear indication of the quality and value of our degrees," said Tim de Noble, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. "It reflects the appreciation that professionals have for the curricular rigor, quality of instruction and drive exhibited by our graduates."

As part of the survey, deans and chairs of architecture schools also were surveyed. From the dean's survey, Kansas State University's landscape program was most admired for its strong natural resource orientation and excellent faculty. The interior architecture and product design program was the most admired for its integrated curriculum and range of opportunities.

"When the leaders of the nation's most prominent design institutions champion our programs and recognize our faculty year in and year out, it helps us communicate the incredible value in a Kansas State University education," de Noble said. "These distinctions help us recruit great students and faculty while opening opportunities for our graduates in an ever-expanding base of firms across the nation and world."