NCARB by the Numbers: The Latest Architecture and News

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) released the 2024 edition of its “NCARB By The Numbers” report, an annual survey of the state of licensure in the United States. The numbers offer an overview of the architectural profession, showing the demographics of candidates pursuing architecture licensure. While the advancements in gender equity and racial diversity have been gradual, they highlight a positive trend supported by initiatives to make licensure more accessible to a diverse demographic, in hopes of promoting a more representative architectural community.

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The ninth edition of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB) annual report has been released, in the midst of new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting major information about the architecture profession in 2019. Focusing on different parameters, such as licensing, education, experience, and demographics, the study explores the evolution and transformation of the field, encompassing also findings on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The annual report of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has been published, revealing by numbers, the latest and most reliable statistics regarding licensed architects. The report showcases annual updates on the number of U.S. architects, the time it takes to earn a license, diversity in the profession, and many more topics regarding the practice.

For years, there has been a lack of diversity in the field of architecture. Whether attrition numbers have been due to the lack of available information about promotion paths, firm hiring practices, or architects seeking out new career opportunities, this profession is one that has historically been stagnant in its representation. However, there is good news on this subject, as the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) revealed new data which shows that the profession is becoming more diverse and that the proportion of women staying in their careers is increasing.

According to NCARB's recently published By The Numbers report, although equity and diversity in the profession have been improving in recent years, data shows that attrition along the path to licensure remains much higher for non-white individuals. “NCARB has spent the past several years updating and aligning our programs to remove unnecessary burdens while maintaining the rigor needed to protect the public,” said NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong. “A key area for us to address is identifying how pinch points along the path to licensure may vary for candidates from different backgrounds.”

As architects around the country gather for the 2017 AIA Convention in Orlando, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has decided to share some initial results from their 2016 nationwide Survey of Architectural Registration, specifically, the number of architects licensed in each state.

The data tracks both the number of resident licenses and reciprocal licenses (licenses for a particular state held by a resident of another state). The 2016 survey found that the number of architects working in the US has held steady, and that architects are working across state lines more than ever before. While the total number architects dropped slightly from the previous year (0.4 percent) to 109,748, the number out-of-state licenses grew a full 3 percent to 126,554.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has released the 2016 edition of its NCARB by the Numbers, an annual publication that provides insights into the number of U.S. architects, the pools of professionals working towards licensure, and diversity within the profession.

With recent streamlining and increased flexibility of architectural licensing programs, the time it takes to earn a license has decreased for the seventh year in a row, and the average age of licensure has concurrently dropped. On average, it takes just over 13 years to become an architect, from the time a student enrolls in school to the date they receive a license.