NAAB is the only agency recognized by registration boards in U. S. jurisdictions to accredit professional degree programs in architecture. To receive NAAB accreditation, programs must be offered by institutions accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education. Currently, there are 173 NAAB-accredited programs offered by 137 institutions of higher learning in the U.S. and abroad. In all 55 U.S. jurisdictions, the NAAB-accredited degree meets the education requirement for NCARB registration.
For an architecture program to obtain NAAB accreditation it must first go through the candidacy process. Candidacy is a multi-year effort that starts with an eligibility review by NAAB and continues with up to three visits to the school. Prospective students who are interested in a program in candidacy should not be discouraged by its candidacy status, but need to understand the program’s plan for achieving Initial Accreditation.
Graduates from a program in candidacy can meet the NCARB education requirements if they graduate within two years of the program achieving Initial Accreditation. If you graduate outside this two-year window your degree will not be considered accredited by NAAB, and you may need to complete additional requirements to obtain your architecture license.
Hover over the map below to view our domestic accredited programs by state or territory; click to see the search results from our school search page.
View our international programs here.
Download our list of NAAB Accredited Programs.
For historic information about programs that are no longer accredited or have gone through nomenclature changes, please contact NAAB.