Best Schools for Architecture
Architecture graduates earn a median of $67,453 within four years of graduating, ranking #97 out of 283 tracked majors — 8% above the median across all fields. There are 97 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 3,686 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: University of Notre Dame graduates earn $82,983 while Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce graduates earn $45,710 — a $37,273 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Architecture graduates see an average 2% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Architecture
Private schools produce $2,212 more in early earnings on average for Architecture graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Architecture by State
Also by state: Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC
Top Architecture Schools by Graduate Earnings
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
Pratt Institute-Main
Brooklyn, NY · Private
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · Public
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
Newschool of Architecture and Design
San Diego, CA · For-Profit
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · Private
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Public
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · Public
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · Public
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA · Public
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA · Public
Drury University
Springfield, MO · Private
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK · Public
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · Private
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS · Public
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL · Private
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
Woodbury University
Burbank, CA · Private
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR · Public
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Public
Marywood University
Scranton, PA · Private
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA · Private
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ · Public
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Public
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND · Public
Roger Williams University
Bristol, RI · Private
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · Public
Showing top 50 of 97 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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