• Some say they don't make things the way they used to.

    At the American College of the Building Arts, we beg to differ.

  • Educating Today's Artisans

    The American College of Building Arts is the only college in the United States that fully integrates professional training in the traditional building trades with a liberal arts core curriculum. Our graduates are leaders in their professions, equipped with the skills and knowledge for real world application.

  • Students go beyond just textbooks and computers at ACBA.

    They learn by using drafting tables, trowels, chisels, hammers and anvils.

  • ACBA Students do amazing things with their hands,

    Shaping timbers into soaring edifices, creating masterworks from limestone and plaster, and twisting red-hot iron into finely wrought designs.

  • Are passionate about what they do,

    Creating with their hands, their heads and their hearts.

  • Are trained to become leaders in their fields,

    They learn humanist traditions like history and English; practical skills like math and science; and design skills such as drawing and drafting. Taken together, this holistic approach to educations imparts the creative thinking skills that great artists in their fields need.

  • And build careers doing something they love.

    Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.

    (William Inge 1913-1973, American author)

  • The American College of the Building Arts is the only accredited college in the United States that fully integrates professional training in the traditional building trades with a liberal arts core curriculum. Graduates are not only well-versed in a building arts trade, but they also earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, preparing them for the successful real-life application of their trade.

An Education Built By Hand.

Our students don't just learn theory—they bring it to life, mastering one of six craft specializations from architectural stone to blacksmithing. See how passion meets precision in a place where students learn to build a career and craft a legacy.