Top Ranked
Landscape Architecture Schools — Focus Areas
Landscape architecture firms and other professional organizations were surveyed regarding America's Top Ranked Landscape Architecture
Schools, which ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of the professional practitioners who hire and supervise
graduates of landscape architecture. Rankings are compiled for the strongest programs in each of 12 different focus areas.
1 — Communication and presentation skills
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Louisiana State University |
1 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
2 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
3 |
| Ohio State University |
4 |
| Ball State University |
5 |
| University of Georgia |
5 |
| Cornell University |
7 |
| Iowa State University |
8 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| Purdue University |
9 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| Cornell University |
5 |
| University of Virginia |
6 |
| Ball State University |
7 |
| Ohio State University |
8 |
| University of Georgia |
9 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
10 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
10 |
2 — Construction materials and methods
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| Ball State University |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| Purdue University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| Iowa State University |
8 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
1 |
| Harvard University |
2 |
| Cornell University |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
5 |
| Ohio State University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
6 |
| Ball State University |
8 |
| University of Virginia |
8 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
10 |
3 — Design technologies (BIM, AI, VR, AR, etc.)
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Louisiana State University |
1 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
2 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
3 |
| Ohio State University |
4 |
| Ball State University |
5 |
| University of Georgia |
5 |
| Texas A&M University |
7 |
| Cornell University |
8 |
| Virginia Tech |
8 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| Cornell University |
5 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| University of Virginia |
7 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
8 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
8 |
| Ball State University |
10 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
10 |
4 — Design theory and practice
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Louisiana State University |
1 |
| Cornell University |
2 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
3 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| Ball State University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| Michigan State University |
8 |
| Iowa State University |
9 |
| Purdue University |
9 |
| Texas A&M University |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| University of Virginia |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
5 |
| Cornell University |
6 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
8 |
| Ball State University |
9 |
| Ohio State University |
9 |
5 — Engineering fundamentals
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
2 |
| Purdue University |
2 |
| Ohio State University |
4 |
| Louisiana State University |
5 |
| Ball State University |
6 |
| Cornell University |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| Iowa State University |
9 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| Texas A&M University |
9 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
1 |
| Cornell University |
2 |
| Ohio State University |
2 |
| Harvard University |
4 |
| Louisiana State University |
5 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
6 |
| Ball State University |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
9 |
| Virginia Tech |
9 |
6 — Healthy built environments
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Louisiana State University |
2 |
| Ohio State University |
3 |
| Ball State University |
4 |
| Cornell University |
5 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
6 |
| Iowa State University |
7 |
| Michigan State University |
7 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
9 |
| University of Georgia |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
2 |
| Cornell University |
4 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
5 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
6 |
| Ohio State University |
6 |
| University of Virginia |
6 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
9 |
| Ball State University |
10 |
7 — Interdisciplinary studies (awareness of, and collaboration with multiple disciplines impacting the built environment)
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
1 |
| Ball State University |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| Cornell University |
6 |
| Texas A&M University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
8 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
3 |
| Cornell University |
4 |
| University of Virginia |
4 |
| Ball State University |
6 |
| Louisiana State University |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| Ohio State University |
9 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
9 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
9 |
8 — Practice management
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Louisiana State University |
2 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
2 |
| University of Georgia |
4 |
| Ball State University |
5 |
| Purdue University |
5 |
| Iowa State University |
7 |
| Ohio State University |
7 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| Cornell University |
10 |
| Texas A&M University |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| Cornell University |
4 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
5 |
| Ohio State University |
6 |
| University of Virginia |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
8 |
| Ball State University |
9 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
9 |
9 — Project planning and management
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
1 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| Ohio State University |
4 |
| Ball State University |
5 |
| Iowa State University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
6 |
| Michigan State University |
8 |
| Purdue University |
9 |
| Cornell University |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| Cornell University |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| Ball State University |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
6 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
8 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
9 |
| University of Virginia |
9 |
10 — Research
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
1 |
| Cornell University |
2 |
| Louisiana State University |
2 |
| Ball State University |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
6 |
| University of Georgia |
7 |
| Iowa State University |
8 |
| Michigan State University |
9 |
| Arizona State University |
10 |
| Texas A&M University |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| Cornell University |
3 |
| University of Virginia |
3 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
5 |
| University of California, Berkeley |
6 |
| Louisiana State University |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
8 |
| Ohio State University |
9 |
| University of Michigan |
10 |
11 — Sustainable built environments/adaptive design/resilient design
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Louisiana State University |
2 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
3 |
| University of Georgia |
3 |
| Cornell University |
5 |
| Ball State University |
6 |
| Ohio State University |
7 |
| Michigan State University |
8 |
| Purdue University |
9 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
10 |
| Iowa State University |
10 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
2 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| University of Virginia |
4 |
| Cornell University |
6 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
7 |
| Ohio State University |
8 |
| University of Georgia |
9 |
| University of Washington |
9 |
12 — Transdisciplinary collaboration across A/E/C
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |
1 |
| Ball State University |
2 |
| Pennsylvania State University |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
4 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| Cornell University |
6 |
| Purdue University |
7 |
| University of Georgia |
8 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
9 |
| Iowa State University |
9 |
| School Name |
2019-20 |
| Harvard University |
1 |
| Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS |
2 |
| Cornell University |
3 |
| Louisiana State University |
3 |
| Ohio State University |
5 |
| University of Georgia |
6 |
| University of Virginia |
7 |
| Ball State University |
8 |
| Texas A&M University |
8 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
10 |
