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Architecture Degree

66 schools compared · Average earnings $45,895/yr

Students study building design, structural systems, architectural history, environmental sustainability, and computer-aided design to create functional and aesthetically meaningful spaces. Graduates typically pursue careers in architecture firms, urban planning agencies, real estate development, and construction management. Becoming a licensed architect requires additional internship and exam steps, but the profession offers strong creative and financial rewards.

What Architecture Graduates Do

Your career will likely begin with detailed digital work, using specialized software to turn concepts into technical drawings and 3D models while ensuring they meet complex building codes. You'll support senior architects, learning the practical side of the business. With experience, you'll take the lead on your own projects, navigating everything from client negotiations to on-site construction coordination. Many seasoned architects advance into management, where the job becomes less about design and more about steering teams, managing budgets, and securing new business. This management track offers the most robust opportunities. Alternatively, some pursue an academic path, teaching design studios and architectural theory at the university level.

AI is poised to automate significant portions of routine drafting and technical analysis. This means the architect's role is shifting; your value will increasingly come from your creative vision, complex problem-solving, and ability to manage client needs—skills that software can't replicate. Adaptability will be key to thriving as the tools of the trade evolve.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$45,895/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

49/100

AI Automation Risk

High

52% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Architecture graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 23,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers	$167,740 $135K$207K	14,500	+3.8%	41%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary	$101,480 $78K$129K	900	+2.0%	49%
Architects, except landscape and naval	$96,690 $76K$123K	7,800	+3.9%	49%

Architectural and engineering managers

$167,740

$135K $207K

14,500 openings/yr +3.8% growth 41% AI risk

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

$101,480

$78K $129K

900 openings/yr +2.0% growth 49% AI risk

Architects, except landscape and naval

$96,690

$76K $123K

7,800 openings/yr +3.9% growth 49% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Architecture

Top 20 of 66 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	67 66–68	$57,514/yr	24.9x
2	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	66 65–67	$56,477/yr	30.0x
3	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	65 64–66	$60,634/yr	16.5x
4	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	63 62–64	$51,558/yr	22.3x
5	Iowa State University Ames, IA	62 61–63	$54,957/yr	15.7x
6	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	62 61–63	$53,679/yr	16.8x
7	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	61 60–62	$56,327/yr	13.8x
8	Auburn University Auburn, AL	61 60–62	$53,146/yr	14.0x
9	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	60 60–61	$51,080/yr	16.4x
10	University of Houston Houston, TX	60 59–61	$49,388/yr	16.4x
11	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	60 61–62	$46,551/yr	32.0x
12	Ball State University Muncie, IN	59 58–60	$57,603/yr	13.4x
13	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	59 58–60	$56,708/yr	11.0x
14	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	59 58–60	$55,109/yr	12.0x
15	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	59 59–61	$50,917/yr	12.5x
16	Boston Architectural College Boston, MA	57 56–58	$55,079/yr	7.5x
17	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	57 56–58	$51,933/yr	10.5x
18	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA	56 55–57	$48,863/yr	12.6x
19	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	56 56–57	$46,347/yr	13.5x
20	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	55 54–56	$50,809/yr	11.4x
21	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	55 54–56	$50,365/yr	11.0x
22	University of Idaho Moscow, ID	55 56–56	$44,215/yr	16.7x
23	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	54 53–55	$57,034/yr	15.0x
24	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA	54 53–55	$51,740/yr	7.7x
25	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	54 54–55	$45,431/yr	11.9x
26	Clemson University Clemson, SC	53 53–55	$49,983/yr	9.5x
27	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	53 55–54	$43,014/yr	14.6x
28	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	53 57–54	$40,542/yr	23.4x
29	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	52 54–53	$42,400/yr	13.1x
30	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	51 52–52	$44,598/yr	10.7x
31	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	51 54–52	$41,781/yr	15.4x
32	Drury University Springfield, MO	50 49–51	$54,723/yr	4.0x
33	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred, NY	50 50–51	$49,192/yr	12.9x
34	Keene State College Keene, NH	49 51–51	$43,448/yr	10.1x
35	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	49 53–50	$40,166/yr	12.9x
36	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	48 47–49	$62,957/yr	2.1x
37	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO	48 55–49	$37,707/yr	16.2x
38	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	47 50–48	$42,029/yr	9.1x
39	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	46 45–48	$57,730/yr	2.1x
40	Woodbury University Burbank, CA	46 46–48	$49,410/yr	3.1x
41	Marywood University Scranton, PA	46 45–47	$48,650/yr	3.3x
42	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA	46 46–47	$47,797/yr	3.3x
43	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	46 48–47	$43,248/yr	9.7x
44	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	46 52–47	$38,750/yr	13.7x
45	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY	45 44–46	$54,334/yr	2.0x
46	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	45 51–46	$39,181/yr	14.3x
47	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	45 51–46	$39,060/yr	12.1x
48	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	45 52–46	$37,918/yr	12.7x
49	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	45 52–46	$37,622/yr	13.6x
50	Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN	44 44–46	$52,877/yr	4.2x
51	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	43 42–44	$61,071/yr	1.8x
52	Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL	42 42–43	$47,542/yr	2.3x
53	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	42 48–43	$38,998/yr	8.5x
54	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	39 46–40	$37,389/yr	13.7x
55	The Catholic University of America Washington, DC	38 39–39	$44,615/yr	2.1x
56	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	38 45–39	$37,078/yr	9.6x
57	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	38 47–39	$35,370/yr	10.6x
58	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	38 48–39	$34,723/yr	11.1x
59	Morgan State University Baltimore, MD	38 48–39	$26,282/yr	18.1x
60	Judson University Elgin, IL	37 40–38	$41,033/yr	3.7x
61	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Ponce, PR	37 39–38	$17,819/yr	21.2x
62	Portland State University Portland, OR	36 48–37	$32,678/yr	12.3x
63	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	33 40–34	$37,556/yr	2.3x
64	Roger Williams University Bristol, RI	32 40–33	$36,750/yr	3.0x
65	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	32 42–33	$27,525/yr	9.8x
66	Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico Hato Rey, PR	25 29–26	$20,080/yr	10.2x

Highest Earning Architecture Programs

Schools where Architecture graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
University of Notre Dame	$62,957/yr	48
University of Miami	$61,071/yr	43
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	$60,634/yr	65
Drexel University	$57,730/yr	46
Ball State University	$57,603/yr	59
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	$57,514/yr	67
North Carolina State University at Raleigh	$57,034/yr	54
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	$56,708/yr	59
Kennesaw State University	$56,477/yr	66
The University of Texas at Austin	$56,327/yr	61

Best ROI for Architecture

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Architecture.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Florida Atlantic University	32.0x	$46,551/yr	60
Kennesaw State University	30.0x	$56,477/yr	66
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	24.9x	$57,514/yr	67
University of Florida	23.4x	$40,542/yr	53
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	22.3x	$51,558/yr	63
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	21.2x	$17,819/yr	37
Morgan State University	18.1x	$26,282/yr	38
Mississippi State University	16.8x	$53,679/yr	62
University of Idaho	16.7x	$44,215/yr	55
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	16.5x	$60,634/yr	65

Want to compare two Architecture programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Architecture graduates earn?

Across 66 schools, Architecture graduates earn an average of $45,895 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $17,819 to $62,957 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Architecture?

Architecture is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 52% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Architecture program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks #1 for Architecture with a score of 67/100 and graduate earnings of $57,514/yr.

What's the outlook for a Architecture degree?

On average, Architecture graduates earn 11.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →