UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When it comes to an undergraduate program in landscape architecture, the answer is Penn State. The Stuckeman School's Department of Landscape Architecture is No. 1 in the 2014 Design Intelligence rankings of undergraduate programs nationwide.

This ranking has risen from No. 3 last year and reprises the program’s No. 1 ranking of 2007. Penn State also fared well in the Dean's Survey rankings, coming in second as the “most admired undergraduate programs for its excellent resources and overall program.”

The 693 professional practices and corporations surveyed chose Penn State when asked, "In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which schools are best preparing students for success in the profession?" Their answer corresponded to the 100 percent of Penn State students surveyed who answered that they believe they will be well prepared for their profession upon graduation. Finally, Design Intelligence performs a “skills assessment,” asking hiring firms to rank the “strongest landscape architecture programs in educating for each skill area.” Penn State’s program garnered top 5 ranks in three of the six skill areas: Communication, Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork and Sustainable Design Practices & Principles. 

The landscape architecture undergraduate program was not alone in receiving Design Intelligence accolades. Penn State’s architecture program made the top 5 for undergraduate architecture schools in the East and 13th overall in undergraduate architecture programs. The landscape architecture graduate program, which is in only its second year of eligibility for ranking, maintained its position as No. 7 in the country.