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Engineering · Architectural Engineering Rank #3 of 12

Architectural Engineeringat The University of Texas at Austin

Graduates earn $73,510/yr in their first year — about 2.0% above the national Architectural Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $878K; scenarios range from $759K to $919K depending on AI disruption.

Austin, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
72 STRONG
73
Optimistic
70
Pessimistic
Earnings
$73,510
1-year post-graduation
ROI
20.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$878K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UT Austin

This specialized Architectural Engineering program positions you uniquely within the building sector, blending structural design with building systems expertise. Austin’s booming construction and tech industries create robust local demand, providing excellent opportunities with major engineering consultancies, general contractors, and even real estate developers focused on large-scale commercial and sustainable projects right after graduation.

While the data highlights a higher AI risk for the field, this often points to automation handling routine design and analysis. Your future value will increasingly lie in complex problem-solving, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies into innovative building solutions. To truly thrive, actively seek internships that emphasize project leadership and explore advanced building information modeling (BIM) or sustainable design certifications, ensuring you complement automation rather than compete with it.

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
$759K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple16.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$878K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple18.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$919K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple19.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Architectural Engineering 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
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$101,480/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 Architectural Engineering

How UT Austin stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
73
DW Score
$80K
1-yr earn
20.9x
ROI
Auburn University
AL · Public
72
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
18.9x
ROI
University of Kansas
KS · Public
58
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
15.3x
ROI
Drexel University
PA · Private nonprofit
56
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
Kansas State University
KS · Public
70
DW Score
$74K
1-yr earn
19.1x
ROI
Also at UT Austin

Other top programs at UT Austin

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UT Austin, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Architectural Engineering at UT Austin

How does The University of Texas at Austin's Architectural Engineering program score?

A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. The University of Texas at Austin's Architectural Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Architectural Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Architectural Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why does The University of Texas at Austin rank so high for Architectural Engineering?

The #3 ranking out of 12 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.