Best Architecture Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Architecture Colleges in the West
Regional list from Best Architecture Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 10 Architecture programs in the West by the median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing, highest first. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona leads the list at $76,969, followed by University of California-Berkeley at $76,679 and University of Nevada-Las Vegas at $72,468.
The median across the listed programs is $61,323, with a spread of $45,664 from the top figure of $76,969 to the bottom of $31,305. For 3 of the 10 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 10 programs, with 2 private nonprofit programs rounding out the list. Portland State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $9,552.
University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and University of Nevada-Las Vegas has the highest admission rate at 96%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $76,969 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 1st on this list, reporting $76,969 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,679 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley posts an admission rate of 11% and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $72,468 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
| With an admission rate of 96%, University of Nevada-Las Vegas reports median federal debt of $22,278 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $69,515 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| An average net price of $14,091 coincides with median earnings of $69,515 for Architecture graduates four years after completing at University of Washington-Seattle Campus. | |||||
| 5 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $62,349 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University carries the lowest average net price on the list at $9,552, and its Architecture graduates four years after completing earned a median of $62,349. | |||||
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $60,297 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Architecture completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $20,011. | |||||
| 7 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $55,286 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| With an admission rate of 62%, University of San Francisco posts an average net price of $31,537 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $49,437 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports $49,437 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 9 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $48,424 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| Across all of University of New Mexico-Main Campus's borrowers who completed, the median federal debt is $18,450, and its Architecture graduates four years after completing earn a median of $48,424. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $31,305 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles admits 9% of applicants, the lowest rate on the page, and ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
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 West appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 3 of the 10 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 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and University of California-Berkeley is $290, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $45,664.