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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

79 Ranked Colleges
3,668 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Architecture is the 124th most popular major in the country with 4,967 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,668 architecture graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 79 colleges that offered a degree in architecture. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality architecture programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the architecture program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

Yale also made our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,125 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at Yale

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $3,181 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Pennsylvania Architecture Report

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #3 spot on the list. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #4 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $1,386 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Architecture at Princeton University

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,535 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MIT.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full MIT Architecture Report

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,994 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Florida Architecture Report

#6

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,273 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at WUSTL

#24 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Architecture at U-M

#13 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also took the #13 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Architecture at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#9

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Notre Dame Architecture Report

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at University of California - Berkeley

#11

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#18 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Architecture at University of Maryland - College Park

#12

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,285 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at NC State

#11 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,916 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Architecture at Columbia University in the City of New York

#14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 106 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Architecture at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#15

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Northeastern University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,239 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at Northeastern

#16

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at University of Central Florida

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Architecture at Ohio State

#18

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #7 spot in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,882 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Architecture Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 88 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#19

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 114 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Architecture at Texas A&M College Station

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Architecture Report

#22

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Architecture at UCLA

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,224 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Knoxville Architecture Report

#24

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #24, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $6,085 for Bachelor’s Degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full FAU Architecture Report

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s architecture students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,403 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State University Architecture Report

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Danichou.

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