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Best Architecture Colleges in California (2026)

Updated

This page ranks the 10 schools in California for Architecture by the median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing. University of Southern California leads the list.

Across the 6 schools with a published median, the figures range from $77,401 at Art Center College of Design to $31,305, with a median of $58,348. For 3 of the 10 listed programs the median is measured two years after completing rather than four.

The list is evenly split between 5 public and 5 private nonprofit institutions. University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

California State University-Sacramento posts the lowest average net price on the page at $9,338.

The ranked list

10 schools in list order
RankSchoolMedian Architecture EarningsAverage net priceNet price, families under $30KAdmission rate
1University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CANo published median$32,740$13,5169.8%
University of Southern California, a private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, ranks 92nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports a six-year completion rate of 92%.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Real Estate Development (100 graduates), Architectural Sciences and Technology (70 graduates), Architecture (7 graduates)

2Art Center College of Design · Pasadena, CA$77,401$48,661$39,64574.5%
Art Center College of Design posts median earnings of $77,401 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, the top figure among the 6 schools with a reported earnings cohort.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (22 graduates)

3California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA$73,961$11,531$7,85175.2%
With an average net price of $11,531, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports a six-year completion rate of 68% and median earnings of $73,961 four years after completing.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (107 graduates), Landscape Architecture (66 graduates), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (37 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($76,969), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning ($72,704), Landscape Architecture ($69,790)

4University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CANo published median$13,481$5,31111.0%
University of California-Berkeley admits 11% of applicants and carries an average net price of $5,311 for families earning under $30,000.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (113 graduates), Environmental Design (19 graduates), Landscape Architecture (18 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($76,679)

5California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CANo published median$16,665$7,52931.3%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 86%.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (180 graduates), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (36 graduates), Landscape Architecture (27 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Landscape Architecture ($68,795)

6California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA$61,410$9,338$6,50194.0%
Reporting median earnings of $61,410 four years after completing, California State University-Sacramento carries an average net price of $9,338, the lowest on the page.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (49 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Interior Architecture ($61,410)

7University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA$55,286$41,431$31,53761.7%
University of San Francisco reports median earnings of $55,286 for its Architecture graduates two years after completing and an admission rate of 62%.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (25 graduates)

8University of San Diego · San Diego, CA$52,107$30,365$15,58652.4%
An average net price of $15,586 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a six-year completion rate of 84% at University of San Diego.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation (17 graduates)

9Woodbury University · Burbank, CANo published median$33,692$28,81581.7%
Woodbury University ranks 961st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 82% of applicants.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (67 graduates), Interior Architecture (9 graduates)

10University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA$31,305$12,548$5,5799.0%
University of California-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $31,305 for its Architecture graduates two years after completing and an admission rate of 9%.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (34 graduates)

How this list is ordered

Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Architecture graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Architecture earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 6 schools with a published figure. The spread from University of Southern California to the lowest listed earner is $46,096.

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