Washington, DC—The number of U.S. Architects increased by 6% to just over 123,000 in 2025, according to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB) annual Survey of Architectural Registration Boards. This represents a recovery from 2024’s data, which saw the number of architects dip below 120,000. 

Conducted each year by NCARB, the survey provides exclusive insights into data from the architectural licensing boards of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  

Some fluctuation in the number of architects is normal due to how licensing boards report residential versus reciprocal licenses and process renewals. 

Despite the increase, NCARB continues to anticipate a decline in the number of U.S. architects as baby boomers retire. Architects who are over the age of 65 made up 14% (a percentage point higher than 2024) of the total architect pool in 2025, while just 3% of the pool is under the age of 30. However, the pipeline of new architects remains healthy, with just under 3,500 new architects getting licensed last year. More information about the state of licensure will be available in the 2026 NCARB by the Numbers, which will be released in July. 

Here is how resident and reciprocal licensure breaks down by U.S. jurisdiction:

JurisdictionTotalResidentReciprocal 
Alabama3,1978542,343
Alaska598207391
Arizona6,7382,3234,415
Arkansas2,3986101,788
California20,26216,2414,021
Colorado8,2963,8104,486
Connecticut4,6341,2713,363
Delaware*1,723793930
District of Columbia*4,7212,1722,549
Florida12,4395,8586,581
Georgia*6,3362,9153,421
Guam1144668
Hawaii**2,4589751,483
Idaho2,5292,49138
Illinois9,8045,6764,128
Indiana4,1111,1682,943
Iowa2,4826611,821
Kansas2,8438701,973
Kentucky3,0247102,314
Louisiana3,4411,2722169
Maine2,1025541,548
Maryland*6,7503,1053,645
Massachusetts7,9774,2403,737
Michigan*5,9072,7173,190
Minnesota3,9812,0551,926
Mississippi1,6463451,301
Missouri*5,4882,5242,964
Montana2,1535981,555
Nebraska1,8664911,375
Nevada3,1505682,582
New Hampshire*1,9078771,030
New Jersey8,0283,2024,826
New Mexico2,3907071,683
New York22,06812,03910,029
North Carolina7,5232,9214,602
North Dakota1,2681881,080
Northern Mariana Islands33429
Ohio7,3203,4013,919
Oklahoma2,7388041,934
Oregon4,1972,1062,091
Pennsylvania8,5954,0834,512
Puerto Rico**666273393
Rhode Island2,3893,732,016
South Carolina4,8621,1943,668
South Dakota900150750
Tennessee4,7141,5903,124
Texas17,16210,3436,819
Utah*3,6431,6761,967
Vermont1,4973301,167
Virgin Islands*1476879
Virginia7,7882,8964,892
Washington*7,2433,3323,911
West Virginia1,5011191,382
Wisconsin6,3451,8544,491
Wyoming*1,628749879
Totals269,720 123,398 146,322 

* Ratio of in-state vs. out-of-state licenses estimated based on national data
** Numbers taken from the 2024 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards

About NCARB 

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural licensing boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB, in collaboration with these boards, facilitates the licensure and credentialing of architects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. 

To achieve these goals, NCARB works with its Member Boards and volunteers to develop and facilitate standards for licensure, including the national examination and experience program. NCARB also recommends regulatory guidelines for licensing boards and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate. Connect with NCARB on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.