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# Best Architecture Colleges in Pennsylvania (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks the 9 Architecture programs in Pennsylvania by median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing. [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) leads the list at $75,485, followed by [Drexel University](/school/drexel-university/majors/) at $72,915 and [Thomas Jefferson University](/school/thomas-jefferson-university/majors/) 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

| Rank | School | Median Architecture Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $75,485 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
|  | [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [$75,485 in median earnings](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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) |
| 2 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $72,915 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Philadelphia, [Drexel University](/school/drexel-university/majors/) posts a [six-year completion rate of 78%](/school/drexel-university/outcomes/) 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) |
| 3 | Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, PA | $68,758 | $28,928 | $22,537 | 81.0% |
|  | [Thomas Jefferson University](/school/thomas-jefferson-university/majors/) [admits 81% of applicants](/school/thomas-jefferson-university/admissions/) 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) |
| 4 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | No published median | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
|  | [Temple University](/school/temple-university/majors/) [ranks 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/temple-university/) 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) |
| 5 | Marywood University · Scranton, PA | $62,766 | $23,388 | $18,941 | 60.6% |
|  | With a [six-year completion rate of 72%](/school/marywood-university/outcomes/), [Marywood University](/school/marywood-university/majors/) 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) |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | No published median | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
|  | [Carnegie Mellon University](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/) holds the lowest admission rate on this list at 12% and an [average net price of $9,097](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (36 graduates), Architecture (9 graduates) |
| 7 | La Roche University · Pittsburgh, PA | $42,682 | $20,794 | $16,152 | 75.8% |
|  | [La Roche University](/school/la-roche-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $42,682](/school/la-roche-university/outcomes/) 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) |
| 8 | Chatham University · Pittsburgh, PA | $32,382 | $29,954 | $22,675 | 62.0% |
|  | 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) |
| 9 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA | $31,839 | $16,804 | $12,364 | 90.8% |
|  | [Indiana University of Pennsylvania](/school/indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) carries the lowest average net price on the page at $16,804 and reports [median earnings of $31,839](/school/indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/outcomes/) 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

-   Architecture Colleges
-   [Best Colleges in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-colleges-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Architecture Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-texas/)
-   [Best Architecture Colleges in California](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Architecture Colleges in Ohio](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-ohio/)
-   [Best Architecture Colleges in New York](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-new-york/)
-   Architecture Colleges in Pennsylvania for Social Mobility