Best Architecture Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Architecture Colleges in the South
Regional list from Best Architecture Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 27 Architecture programs in the South by the median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing, highest first. The University of Texas at Austin leads the list with median earnings of $76,808 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figures range from $76,808 to $44,971, with a median of $68,527. For 1 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 93% of the programs on the list. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price at $6,541, and The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $76,808 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin reports median earnings of $76,808 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 27%. | |||||
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $76,695 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks 2nd on this list, with an average net price of $6,382 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 3 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $72,420 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University posts median earnings of $72,420 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $28,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $71,292 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus admits 14% of applicants and reports median earnings of $71,292 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $70,752 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
| Kennesaw State University ranks 5th on this list and carries an average net price of $15,048. | |||||
| 6 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $70,616 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston reports median earnings of $70,616 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, with 95 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 7 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $70,383 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| A school-wide median federal debt of $20,654 across all of its borrowers who completed accompanies median earnings of $70,383 for University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus's Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $70,213 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus ranks 8th on this list, with an admission rate of 17% and median earnings of $70,213 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · Tallahassee, FL | $69,874 | $13,739 | $13,299 | 20.6% |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University reports median earnings of $69,874 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $13,299 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC | $69,838 | $29,561 | $17,358 | 82.8% |
| The Catholic University of America, a private nonprofit university, posts median earnings of $69,838 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $69,699 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University reports median earnings of $69,699 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $31,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $69,029 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $69,029 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $68,765 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville posts median earnings of $68,765 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $18,976. | |||||
| 14 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $68,527 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| With an admission rate of 45%, University of Maryland-College Park reports $68,527 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $67,955 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| University of Arkansas ranks 15th on this list and shows median federal debt of $26,250 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $67,399 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| An average net price of $1,982 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $67,399 for University of Florida's Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC | $67,204 | $15,435 | $10,357 | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte admits 80% of applicants and reports $67,204 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $64,826 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| Median federal debt among Architecture completers who borrowed stands at $10,750 at University of Central Florida, while the program's median earnings reach $64,826 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $64,643 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 19th on this list and posts median earnings of $64,643 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $63,892 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University reports an average net price of $22,253 and median earnings of $63,892 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $63,871 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| With a cohort of 117 graduates in the earnings data, Texas Tech University shows median earnings of $63,871 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $62,540 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
| Prairie View A & M University carries median federal debt of $30,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed, and its graduates earn a median of $62,540 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $62,383 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| University of Kentucky admits 93% of applicants and reports median earnings of $62,383 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $62,345 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Architecture graduates earn a median of $62,345 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Morgan State University · Baltimore, MD | $59,586 | $14,985 | $9,585 | 82.2% |
| Morgan State University reports median earnings of $59,586 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,585 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 26 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $57,778 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks 34th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 87% of applicants. | |||||
| 27 | Howard University · Washington, DC | $44,971 | $50,539 | $46,051 | 41.3% |
| Howard University, a private nonprofit university in Washington, admits 41% of applicants and posts an average net price of $46,051 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Architecture graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. For 1 of the 27 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 gap between first and second is narrow: The University of Texas at Austin reports $76,808 while North Carolina State University at Raleigh reports $76,695, a difference of $113.