The number of licensed architects in the U.S. continues to grow, as does the number of emerging professionals at their heels, according to the fifth-annual By the Numbers report from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) released today. The report features data on the state of architectural practice in 2015 gathered from NCARB’s member boards in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Last year saw 110,168 licensed architects practicing in the U.S., up 2 percent from 2014; this represents the fourth-consecutive year of growth. Meanwhile, the number of licensure candidates grew by 5 percent to an all-time high of 41,542 for the same period. The number of new enrollments in accredited architecture schools and the number of degrees awarded climbed 7 percent during the 2014–2015 school year from the prior year. However, the total number of students enrolled in these programs dipped 3 percent in 2015 from the previous academic year, continuing the steady decline that began in 2011.
NCARB: The Number of Architects in the U.S. Continues to Rise