College Azimuth

College research / Rankings

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 published figure, 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 nonprofit four-year institutions, 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 nonprofit four-year institutions.

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)

Highest four-year median earnings by program: Interior Architecture ($68,753)

4Temple University · Philadelphia, PANo published median$28,198$22,69480.4%
Temple University ranks 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions 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, PANo published median$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, highest first. Only schools with a reported Architecture earnings cohort in Pennsylvania appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing 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 range and median below cover the 7 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus and second-ranked Drexel University is $2,570.

Related rankings