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# Best Architecture Programs in the West (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

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

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

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](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) leads the list at $76,969, followed by [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) at $76,679 and [University of Nevada-Las Vegas](/school/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/majors/) 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

10 schools in list order

| 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](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting [$76,969 in median earnings](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) posts an [admission rate of 11%](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/admissions/) 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%](/school/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/admissions/), [University of Nevada-Las Vegas](/school/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/majors/) 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](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $69,515 for Architecture graduates four years after completing at [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/majors/). |
| 5 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $62,349 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
|  | [Portland State University](/school/portland-state-university/majors/) 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](/school/portland-state-university/outcomes/). |
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $60,297 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
|  | [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/majors/) [ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/) 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%](/school/university-of-san-francisco/admissions/), [University of San Francisco](/school/university-of-san-francisco/majors/) 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](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) reports [$49,437 in median earnings](/school/university-of-southern-california/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/majors/)'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](/school/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/outcomes/). |
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $31,305 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/admissions/), 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.

## Related rankings

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