University of Illinois School of Architecture
Champaign, United States
About University of Illinois School of Architecture
The University of Illinois School of Architecture is part of the College of Fine & Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The school says its architecture curriculum began in 1867 and that it was the first public school of architecture in the United States. It also says it produced the country's first architecture graduate, Nathan Ricker, in 1873. Today it offers undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. programs. There's also a Chicago Studio and study abroad, and the director describes academic centers in Champaign, Chicago and Barcelona. For high school students, the way in is Discover Architecture. It's a one-week residential summer program on the Urbana-Champaign campus. The 2027 program runs twice, from 6 to 12 June 2027 and from 11 to 17 July 2027, and both weeks teach the same courses. It's open to rising sophomores through seniors. The fee is $1,300, which the school says includes lodging and meals.
Teaching style
Teaching at the school centers on the design studio, where students learn by making things and then present their work for review. Each degree student gets a dedicated workspace in one of three studio buildings. The school also runs a woodshop, a digital fabrication shop and print labs. Discover Architecture works the same way on a smaller scale. Professor John Clark's summary of the 2025 week describes students folding paper modules into walls and taping full-size floor plans of four contemporary houses onto the floor of Temple Buell Hall. They also built bridges from spaghetti and hot glue, then loaded them with weights until they broke. The week included a day trip to Columbus, Indiana, to see midcentury modern buildings, and it ended with an exhibition of student work. The school says the guide from the previous program is for information only and may change, so the 2027 projects may not be the same.
Reputation & Succeed take
The school describes itself as one of the oldest and largest architecture schools in the United States. It says more than 10,000 alumni work around the world, and it names well-known graduates such as Jeanne Gang, Carol Ross Barney and the late Cesar Pelli. Its Plym Distinguished Professorship has brought architects including Kengo Kuma, Thom Mayne and Juhani Pallasmaa to lead graduate studios. These are the school's own descriptions of itself.
Our take
In Succeed's view, Discover Architecture is a practical way to find out whether architecture suits you before you apply to study it. The week is short and hands-on, and the $1,300 fee covers lodging and meals. You'll make real design projects, visit significant buildings and see how architecture students work. The trade-offs are worth knowing. The school offers no refunds or credits if you cancel, miss days or attend only part of the week. Its pages don't mention college credit, grades or individual feedback. They also don't say whether attending affects admission to its degree programs. So we'd treat the week as a taste of studio life rather than an advantage in applications.
Who this provider suits
Who should choose them
This may suit you if you're a rising sophomore, junior or senior who likes drawing, model making or building things and wants to see what architecture school is really like. It also suits students who are happy to spend a week away from home, because the program is residential. If you're already set on architecture, the school says the week gives you a foundation for starting an undergraduate architecture program.
Who it may not suit
Who should skip it: students below the rising sophomore level, since that's where eligibility starts. It's also risky if your summer plans might change, because the school gives no refunds or credits for canceling, missed days or partial attendance. And if you want a long individual research project or one-to-one mentoring, a one-week group workshop won't give you that.
