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Architecture · Architecture Rank #23 of 66

Architectureat North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Graduates earn $57,034/yr in their first year — about 24.0% above the national Architecture average. Base-case 10-year earnings $600K; scenarios range from $551K to $612K depending on AI disruption.

Raleigh, NC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
54 AVERAGE
55
Optimistic
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$57,034
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$600K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at NC State

First-year earnings of $57,034 at North Carolina State University at Raleigh come in 24% above the national median of $45,895 for Architecture programs.

The 16.9x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 46% task exposure — and the 10% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $57,034 far exceeding the $25,759 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #23 out of 66 programs, North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Architecture offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$551K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple15.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$600K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple16.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$612K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple17.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to NC State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Architecture graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$101,480/yr
Moderate
3
Architects, except landscape and naval
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 7,800 openings/yr
$96,690/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Architecture

How NC State stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
48
DW Score
$63K
1-yr earn
2.1x
ROI
University of Miami
FL · Private nonprofit
43
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
1.8x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
65
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
16.5x
ROI
Top score
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public
67
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
24.9x
ROI
Kennesaw State University
GA · Public
66
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
30.0x
ROI
Also at NC State

Other top programs at NC State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at NC State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Architecture at NC State

How does North Carolina State University at Raleigh's Architecture program score?

This program scores 54/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Architecture graduates.

How vulnerable is Architecture to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Architecture careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 46% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.