Architecture schools
Art and design schools that teach architecture or interior architecture, with each school’s stated admission requirements and the page they come from.
11 schoolsUnited States · United Kingdom · Japan · France · GermanyNot a ranking
What to compare between architecture schools
In several countries an architecture degree is one stage of a longer professional route. Check what the school says the degree leads to.
Architecture applicants are often asked for drawing, model-making and spatial work rather than finished buildings.
BArch, MArch and design degrees with an architecture focus are not interchangeable; the degree line on each school page shows what is offered.
The schools
11 entries, ordered by search demand
| School | Degrees | Portfolio (key points) | International tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons School of Design, The New SchoolNew York, United States | BFA, BBA; MA, MFA, MPS, MS | First-year and transfer BFA applicants must submit 8–12 slides (images) of work; transfer applicants may submit up to 20. The portfolio is optional for the BBA in Strategic Design and… | Parsons full-time tuition is $31,174 per semester (12–18 credits), 2026–27 academic year; per-credit tuition… |
| Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, United States | BFA, BArch; MFA, MA, MArch, MDes, MAT, MS | Submit 12-20 recent works via SlideRoom, accessed after the Common Application; direct-observation drawing/sketching is recommended; up to 3 research or preparatory sheets may be included… | USD66,460/year (2026-27 academic year); same tuition for international and domestic students. Also an… |
| Central Saint MartinsLondon, United Kingdom | BA (Hons); MA / MFA / MArch / MRes | Digital portfolio submitted via PebblePad (UAL's online portfolio tool) after the UCAS initial application. Example BA (Hons) Fine Art: maximum 25 pages; include finished projects and works… | £31,510 per year (International) for 2027 entry, e.g. BA (Hons) Fine Art. 'May increase by up to 5% in each… |
| Pratt InstituteBrooklyn, New York, United States | BFA / BA / BArch (depending on major); MFA / MA / MS / MPS / MArch / MDes etc. | Portfolio submitted online via pratt.slideroom.com; all majors must submit a visual or writing portfolio (except Construction Management). First-year students have no fixed number… | $59,821 per year (12-18 credits, 2024-25 academic year); credits 1-11 at $1,930/credit. (This is the latest… |
| Tokyo University of the ArtsTokyo, Japan | BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts); MFA (Master's programme) / MA | Undergraduate entrance examination for privately financed international students is assessed by a combination of the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students… | Admission fee 338,400 JPY; annual tuition 642,960 JPY (standard for entrants from academic year 2019 onwards… |
| Musashino Art UniversityTokyo, Japan | BFA (Faculty of Fine Arts / Faculty of Design); MFA (Master's programme) / MA | Special selection for international students: the Departments of Japanese Painting, Oil Painting (Painting course / Graphic Arts course) and Sculpture must submit a portfolio (A4-size… | For 2027 entrants: admission fee 260,000 yen; annual tuition 1,270,000 yen (635,000 x 2 terms); those with… |
| École nationale supérieure des Arts DécoratifsParis, France | Licence (first year of the Licence, first cycle); Master (Diplôme de l'ENSAD, 4th year /… | First year: anonymous digital application comprising (1) a 'création réalisée à domicile' PDF of up to 5 pages (20 MB) plus optional 1-minute audio / video (50 MB); (2) a personal-works… | €458 per year (2025-2026) plus CVEC €105; the same for all nationalities. CROUS scholarship holders are… |
| Universität der Künste BerlinBerlin, Germany | Bachelor (e.g. BA Visual Communication, BA Design, BA Stage Design); Master (e.g. MA… | Varies by programme. Example Visual Communication BA: artistic sample (portfolio + Hausaufgabe) uploaded on Bemus platform (https://bemus.udk-berlin.de); max 4 files, max 350 MB; PDF max 50… | No tuition fees (except a few continuing-education Master programmes); all students pay semester fee ~€370… |
| Royal College of ArtLondon, United Kingdom | MA / MFA / MArch / MRes / MPhil/PhD | Digital portfolio, specific to the programme applied for. General guidance: School of Communication & Design (incl. Architecture, Communication, Design) should include both finished… | £39,250 (Overseas and EU) for Service Design MA, September 2027 entry (representative; varies by programme).… |
| The Glasgow School of ArtGlasgow, United Kingdom | BA (Hons) / BDes (Hons) / BArch (Hons) / BEng / MEng; MA / MFA / MDes / MArch / MSc /… | Digital Portfolio in PDF format, maximum 15 pages, plus a Portfolio Statement (max 500 words / 3000 characters), submitted via the GSA Digital Portfolio site after the UCAS application.… | £24,800 per year (International, including EU), fixed for the duration of the programme, for new students… |
| School of the Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, United States | BFA, BA; MFA, MA, MArch, MDes, MS, Low-Residency MFA | Submit 10–15 best and recent works, uploaded via SlideRoom within the Common Application; no media restrictions, no set topic; images .jpg/.gif/.png (72 dpi, no side exceeding 600 px)… | $59,460/year (30 credits), 2026–27 academic year; $1,982 per credit. Also includes technology fee… |
Requirements are summarised from each school’s admissions pages, usually for the undergraduate route where one exists; the school page has both levels in full with sources. Master’s routes are compared on Masters programmes.
Which are the best architecture schools?
There is no single best school for architecture; this page does not rank. It lists the 11 catalogued schools whose own websites name architecture among their programmes, with what each officially asks for, so you can judge fit by portfolio, language, cost and deadline.
Do architecture schools require a portfolio?
Most of the schools listed here ask for one, but the format, size and upload platform differ. Some, such as programmes that select by entrance exam, do not. The portfolio column below is taken from each school’s admissions page.
Which architecture school fits your work?
Tell Yixiaoliu what you make, your English scores and budget; it will weigh the schools above against them and point you to each official page.
Other disciplines: Film · Fashion design · Interior design · Photography · Illustration · Animation · Graphic design · Product and industrial design · Fine art