Best Architecture Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 61 Architecture programs in the United States by the median earnings of Architecture graduates four years after completing. University of Notre Dame leads the list with median earnings of $82,983 four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the median figure is $65,148, with a range from $82,983 to $31,305.
Public institutions account for 47 of the 61 programs, while 14 are private nonprofit. University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of Florida posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $6,541.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $82,983 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame reports median earnings of $82,983 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, and ranks 1st on this list. | |||||
| 2 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $76,969 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona posts an average net price of $11,531, and its Architecture graduates earn a median of $76,969 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $76,808 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin admits 27% of applicants and reports median earnings of $76,808 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $76,695 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranks 99th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Architecture graduates earn a median of $76,695 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,679 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley carries a median federal debt of $15,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $76,679 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $76,181 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $76,181 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $32,875. | |||||
| 7 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $75,551 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks 7th on this list, and its Architecture completers who borrowed left with a median of $31,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 8 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $73,439 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University admits 12% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $21,750 in federal loans. | |||||
| 9 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $72,915 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University reports median earnings of $72,915 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, and ranks 177th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $72,468 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas posts an average net price of $10,359, and its Architecture graduates earn a median of $72,468 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $72,420 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University carries a median federal debt of $28,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $72,420 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $71,292 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ranks 49th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Architecture graduates earn a median of $71,292 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $70,752 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
| Kennesaw State University reports $70,752 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, with 48 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $70,616 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston ranks 14th on this list and posts an admission rate of 74%. | |||||
| 15 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $70,383 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $20,654 in federal loans at University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, which ranks 101st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $70,213 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus shows an average net price of $21,565 alongside median earnings of $70,213 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Drury University · Springfield, MO | $70,134 | $20,831 | $18,759 | 57.6% |
| A private nonprofit university in Springfield, Drury University ranks 17th on this list and reports median federal debt of $31,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · Tallahassee, FL | $69,874 | $13,739 | $13,299 | 20.6% |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University admits 21% of applicants and reports $69,874 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC | $69,838 | $29,561 | $17,358 | 82.8% |
| The Catholic University of America ranks 19th on this list with an average net price of $29,561 and 59 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 20 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $69,699 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University reports median federal debt of $31,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $69,699 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $69,515 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an admission rate of 39%. | |||||
| 22 | 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 reports $69,029 in median earnings for its Architecture graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $19,151. | |||||
| 23 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $68,765 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranks 23rd on this list and reports median federal debt of $31,000 among Architecture completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 24 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $68,527 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park shows an average net price of $2,962 for families earning under $30,000 and reports 124 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 25 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $67,955 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| A public university in Fayetteville, University of Arkansas reports median earnings of $67,955 for its Architecture graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 6 of the 61 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 61 schools with a published figure. University of Notre Dame leads California State Polytechnic University-Pomona by $6,014, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $51,678.
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