Best Architecture Colleges in the Northeast (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 28 Architecture programs in the Northeast by the median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing. University of Massachusetts-Amherst leads the list at $93,156, followed by Pratt Institute-Main at $84,447 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at $75,551.
Across the 24 schools with a published figure, median earnings reach $66,071, with values spanning from $93,156 to $31,839.
The list includes 12 public and 16 private nonprofit institutions. CUNY New York City College of Technology posts the lowest average net price at $5,127, while Cornell University reports the highest six-year completion rate at 95%.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 30th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Architecture Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $93,156 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports $93,156 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (94 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Pratt Institute-Main · Brooklyn, NY | $84,447 | $52,659 | $38,545 | 73.3% |
| Pratt Institute-Main admits 73% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 74%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (123 graduates) | |||||
| 3 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $75,551 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private nonprofit university in Troy, has an average net price of $36,228. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (57 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($75,551) | |||||
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $75,485 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 4th on this list and posts a six-year completion rate of 86%. | |||||
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) | |||||
| 5 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $75,225 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University reports median earnings of $75,225 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 46%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (119 graduates), Interior Architecture (17 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | University of Rhode Island · Kingston, RI | $74,488 | $21,440 | $14,368 | 72.2% |
| University of Rhode Island carries an average net price of $21,440 and a six-year completion rate of 73%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Landscape Architecture (16 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Landscape Architecture ($74,488) | |||||
| 7 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $72,915 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University ranks 177th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $72,915 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($72,915) | |||||
| 8 | New York Institute of Technology · Old Westbury, NY | $69,776 | $22,443 | $17,084 | 81.0% |
| New York Institute of Technology admits 81% of applicants and has an average net price of $22,443. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (97 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architectural Sciences and Technology ($69,776) | |||||
| 9 | New Jersey Institute of Technology · Newark, NJ | $69,456 | $16,504 | $10,138 | 65.1% |
| A six-year completion rate of 73% and median earnings of $69,456 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing are reported by New Jersey Institute of Technology. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (68 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, PA | $68,758 | $28,928 | $22,537 | 81.0% |
| Thomas Jefferson University ranks 10th on this list and carries an average net price of $28,928. | |||||
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) | |||||
| 11 | Hobart William Smith Colleges · Geneva, NY | $68,341 | $31,563 | $14,650 | 64.0% |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges posts a six-year completion rate of 77% and an admission rate of 64%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture and Related Services, Other (26 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | No published median | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University admits 9% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 95%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (76 graduates), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (15 graduates), Landscape Architecture (5 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $67,050 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick reports median earnings of $67,050 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, and its 30th composite rank on Azimuth's ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions is the strongest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Landscape Architecture (19 graduates), City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (13 graduates), Environmental Design (7 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | Roger Williams University · Bristol, RI | $65,092 | $37,999 | $29,778 | 87.7% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Bristol, Roger Williams University shows a six-year completion rate of 69% alongside an average net price of $37,999. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (63 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($65,092) | |||||
| 15 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | No published median | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University ranks 15th on this list and admits 80% of applicants, with a six-year completion rate of 75%. | |||||
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) | |||||
| 16 | Marywood University · Scranton, PA | $62,766 | $23,388 | $18,941 | 60.6% |
| Graduates of Marywood University earn a median of $62,766 four years after completing their Architecture program, and the school posts an average net price of $23,388. | |||||
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) | |||||
| 17 | CUNY New York City College of Technology · Brooklyn, NY | $61,664 | $5,127 | $3,810 | 80.3% |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology carries the lowest average net price on the page at $5,127 and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 60th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (98 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architectural Sciences and Technology ($61,664) | |||||
| 18 | Keene State College · Keene, NH | $61,304 | $17,887 | $12,192 | 90.3% |
| Keene State College admits 90% of applicants and reports median earnings of $61,304 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (38 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($61,304) | |||||
| 19 | Westfield State University · Westfield, MA | $59,524 | $16,721 | $10,751 | 81.4% |
| A public university in Westfield, Westfield State University shows a six-year completion rate of 54% and an average net price of $16,721. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning ($59,524) | |||||
| 20 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry · Syracuse, NY | $59,480 | $18,952 | $9,473 | 63.3% |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry reports median earnings of $59,480 four years after completing its Architecture program, and its average net price is $18,952. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Landscape Architecture (15 graduates) | |||||
| 21 | Norwich University · Northfield, VT | $58,534 | $22,257 | $15,610 | 74.4% |
| Norwich University admits 74% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 60%, with an average net price of $22,257. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architecture (19 graduates) | |||||
| 22 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $55,484 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo ranks 103rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $55,484 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Environmental Design (76 graduates), Architecture (70 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Architecture ($61,525), Environmental Design ($49,920) | |||||
| 23 | Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, RI | No published median | $50,507 | $29,135 | 18.7% |
| Rhode Island School of Design admits 19% of applicants and graduates 89% of its students within six years, with an average net price of $50,507. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (34 graduates), Architecture (22 graduates) | |||||
| 24 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | No published median | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University admits 12% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 94%, with an average net price of $31,944. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Architectural Sciences and Technology (36 graduates), Architecture (9 graduates) | |||||
| 25 | University of New Haven · West Haven, CT | $52,854 | $34,192 | $27,837 | 60.4% |
| University of New Haven, a private nonprofit university in West Haven, reports $52,854 in median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $34,192. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (21 graduates) | |||||
| 26 | La Roche University · Pittsburgh, PA | $42,682 | $20,794 | $16,152 | 75.8% |
| La Roche University admits 76% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 57% alongside median earnings of $42,682 two years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (6 graduates) | |||||
| 27 | Chatham University · Pittsburgh, PA | $32,382 | $29,954 | $22,675 | 62.0% |
| With an average net price of $22,675 for families earning under $30,000, Chatham University ranks 867th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Interior Architecture (15 graduates) | |||||
| 28 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA | $31,839 | $16,804 | $12,364 | 90.8% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduates earned a median of $31,839 two years after completing, and the public institution reports a six-year completion rate of 56%. | |||||
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 the Northeast appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 28 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 24 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked University of Massachusetts-Amherst and second-ranked Pratt Institute-Main is $8,709, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $61,317.
Related rankings
- Architecture Colleges
- Best Colleges in the Northeast
- Best Architecture Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Architecture Colleges in the West
- Best Architecture Colleges in the South
- Architecture Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility