Bright outlook
Management
Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
ProgramsArchitecture and Related Services
Architecture
CIP04.02
114 colleges offer Architecture. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 114
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $67,178
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $24,447
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 3
- Associate's
- 21
- Bachelor's
- 114
- Master's
- 79
- Doctoral
- 21
- First professional
- 2
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 18
What it covers
About Architecture
A program of study that is a precursor to an advanced degree in architecture. Includes instruction in architectural design, architectural graphics, architectural history, architectural technology, architectural theory and criticism, building technology, calculus, design studio, human factors, environmental architecture, geometry and trigonometry, physics, and technical drawing.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 04.02.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 04.02.
- Pre-Architecture Studies
- Architecture
- Architectural Design
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 3 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Associate's | 21 | $36,4384 yrs after · 1 college | Not reported |
| Bachelor's | 114 | $67,1784 yrs after · 69 colleges | $24,44754 colleges |
| Master's | 79 | $73,4964 yrs after · 37 colleges | $33,89116 colleges |
| Doctoral | 21 | Not reported | Not reported |
| First professional | 2 | $69,6074 yrs after · 1 college | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 18 | Not reported | $32,8901 college |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Architecture graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
University of Notre Dame-South Bend
Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit · 42 graduates
$82,983
debt $24,500
- 2
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public · 85 graduates
$76,969
debt $22,000
- 3
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public · 55 graduates
$76,808
debt $27,250
- 4
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · 33 graduates
$76,695
debt $28,978
- 5
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public · 109 graduates
$76,679
debt $13,156
- 6
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private nonprofit · 52 graduates
$75,551
debt $31,000
- 7
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · 15 graduates
$73,439
debt not reported
- 8
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · 37 graduates
$72,915
debt $30,000
- 9
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Public · 31 graduates
$72,468
debt $15,157
- 10
Auburn, AL · Public · 62 graduates
$72,420
debt $29,000
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Architecture by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
Architecture and engineering
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Median pay
- $99,280
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
Education
Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $96,870
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
More in Architecture and Related Services
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Architectural Sciences and Technology103 colleges
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning99 colleges
- Landscape Architecture47 colleges
- Interior Architecture41 colleges
- Environmental Design35 colleges
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation21 colleges
- Real Estate Development15 colleges
- Architecture and Related Services, Other15 colleges
Questions about Architecture
How many colleges offer Architecture?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Architecture at these degree levels: certificate (3 colleges), associate's (21 colleges), bachelor's (114 colleges), master's (79 colleges), doctoral (21 colleges), first professional (2 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (18 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Architecture graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Architecture earn $67,178 a year four years after finishing, across 69 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Architecture graduates earn the most?
University of Notre Dame-South Bend reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Architecture: $82,983 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.