Only 29 colleges in the country offer Architecture, which means graduates enter the workforce from a smaller, more specialized pool. Median earnings four years out: $62,161.
This page covers Architecture as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Architecture and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Architecture is a specialized field of study. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $62,161 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 29 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 206 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework leans technical and quantitative, with lab or project work common.
Four years after finishing Architecture, a typical graduate earns $62,161, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $46,941 and $72,807, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $29,900 at one year out to $62,161 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Near the national median for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Architecture graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Sector is the biggest factor. Tech companies and finance firms tend to pay significantly more than government, education, or nonprofit employers in this field.
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $62,161 and an estimated $76,544 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.4 years.
Based on outcomes from 18 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 206 students who complete Architecture programs each year, the majority (65%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Architecture graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Architectural & Engineering Manager pays the most at $171,270/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what an Architectural & Engineering Manager earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Not sure where to study Architecture? These 13 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Louisiana Tech University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA · Public | 38 | 86.4% | $11,864 | $52,279 |
| 2 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA · Public | 34 | 87% | $13,530 | $47,089 |
| 3 | Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY · Nonprofit | 28 | 64% | $31,563 | $68,831 |
| 4 | University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public | 15 | 16.8% | $21,565 | $86,863 |
| 5 | New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit | 9 | 9.2% | $37,050 | $82,509 |
| 6 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA · Nonprofit | 8 | 36% | $26,441 | $58,418 |
| 7 | Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI · Public | 7 | Open | $12,285 | $46,297 |
| 8 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public | 6 | 81.7% | $19,406 | $57,262 |
| 9 | Mercer County Community College West Windsor, NJ · Public | 6 | Open | $5,279 | $43,264 |
| 10 | Ball State University Muncie, IN · Public | 2 | 85.5% | $14,940 | $51,833 |
| 11 | Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI · Nonprofit | 2 | 81.9% | $12,547 | $53,187 |
| 12 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Nonprofit | 1 | 9.8% | $32,740 | $92,498 |
| 13 | Portland State University Portland, OR · Public | 1 | 90.9% | $9,552 | $57,906 |
Ranked by Architecture graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of an Architecture program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if an Architecture degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Architecture shows 4 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
