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Best Architecture Colleges in Pennsylvania (2026)

Updated

This page ranks the 9 Architecture programs in Pennsylvania by median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus leads the list at $75,485, followed by Drexel University at $72,915 and Thomas Jefferson University at $68,758.

Across the 7 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $75,485 to $31,839, with a median of $62,766. For 3 of the listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

The list includes 3 public and 6 private nonprofit institutions. Carnegie Mellon University ranks 106th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, while Carnegie Mellon University posts the highest six-year completion rate at 94%.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania reports the lowest average net price on the page at $16,804.

The ranked list

9 schools in list order
RankSchoolMedian Architecture EarningsAverage net priceNet price, families under $30KAdmission rate
1Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA$75,485$32,875$19,84560.6%
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports $75,485 in median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing and ranks 271st on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (50 graduates), Landscape Architecture (31 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($76,181), Landscape Architecture ($74,363)

2Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA$72,915$38,509$28,05579.4%
A private nonprofit university in Philadelphia, Drexel University posts a six-year completion rate of 78% and an average net price of $38,509.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (28 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($72,915)

3Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, PA$68,758$28,928$22,53781.0%
Thomas Jefferson University admits 81% of applicants and shows median earnings of $68,758 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (52 graduates), Interior Architecture (17 graduates)

4Temple University · Philadelphia, PA$64,670$28,198$22,69480.4%
Temple University ranks 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally and carries an average net price of $22,694 for families earning under $30,000.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (61 graduates), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (11 graduates), Landscape Architecture (5 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architectural Sciences and Technology ($66,518)

5Marywood University · Scranton, PA$62,766$23,388$18,94160.6%
With a six-year completion rate of 72%, Marywood University reports median earnings of $62,766 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (34 graduates), Interior Architecture (12 graduates)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($67,178)

6Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA$53,499$31,944$9,09711.7%
Carnegie Mellon University holds the lowest admission rate on this list at 12% and an average net price of $9,097 for families earning under $30,000.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (36 graduates), Architecture (9 graduates)

7La Roche University · Pittsburgh, PA$42,682$20,794$16,15275.8%
La Roche University reports median earnings of $42,682 for its Architecture graduates two years after completing and an average net price of $20,794.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (6 graduates)

8Chatham University · Pittsburgh, PA$32,382$29,954$22,67562.0%
Chatham University admits 62% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 63% alongside median earnings of $32,382 two years after completing.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (15 graduates)

9Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA$31,839$16,804$12,36490.8%
Indiana University of Pennsylvania carries the lowest average net price on the page at $16,804 and reports median earnings of $31,839 for its Architecture graduates two years after completing.

Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (7 graduates)

How this list is ordered

Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Architecture graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing the program. For 3 of the 9 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 of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 7 schools with a reported completion median. The gap between first-ranked Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus and second-ranked Drexel University is $2,570.

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