[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/)

# Best Architecture Programs in the South (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Architecture Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-the-south/)

Regional list from [Best Architecture Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-architecture-programs/)

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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) 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

27 schools in list order

| 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) reports [median earnings of $76,808](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) 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](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list, with an [average net price of $6,382](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 3 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $72,420 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
|  | [Auburn University](/school/auburn-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $72,420](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/majors/) [admits 14% of applicants](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/admissions/) 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](/school/kennesaw-state-university/majors/) ranks 5th on this list and carries an [average net price of $15,048](/school/kennesaw-state-university/cost/). |
| 6 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $70,616 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
|  | [University of Houston](/school/university-of-houston/majors/) reports [median earnings of $70,616](/school/university-of-houston/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/cost/) across all of its borrowers who completed accompanies median earnings of $70,383 for [University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/majors/)'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](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/majors/) ranks 8th on this list, with an [admission rate of 17%](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/admissions/) 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](/school/florida-agricultural-and-mechanical-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $69,874](/school/florida-agricultural-and-mechanical-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/mississippi-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $69,699](/school/mississippi-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/) ranks 12th on this list, with [median earnings of $69,029](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/) posts [median earnings of $68,765](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/outcomes/) 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%](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/admissions/), [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) 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](/school/university-of-arkansas/majors/) ranks 15th on this list and shows [median federal debt of $26,250](/school/university-of-arkansas/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-florida/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $67,399 for [University of Florida](/school/university-of-florida/majors/)'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](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-charlotte/majors/) [admits 80% of applicants](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-charlotte/admissions/) 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](/school/university-of-central-florida/majors/), 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](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) ranks 19th on this list and posts [median earnings of $64,643](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $63,892 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
|  | [Clemson University](/school/clemson-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $22,253](/school/clemson-university/cost/) 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](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $63,871](/school/texas-tech-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/majors/) carries [median federal debt of $30,000](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) [admits 93% of applicants](/school/university-of-kentucky/admissions/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/majors/) [ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/) 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](/school/morgan-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $59,586](/school/morgan-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/) [ranks 34th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/) 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Architecture Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-architecture-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Architecture Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-architecture-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Architecture Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-architecture-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Architecture Programs in the West](/rankings/best-architecture-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Architecture Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-architecture-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   Architecture Colleges in the South for Social Mobility