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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (With Aid)

74 Ranked Colleges
4,982 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 4,982 people earned their degree in general architecture, making the major the 127th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general architecture graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,005 and had an average of $26,624 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 74 colleges that offer a degree in general architecture. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general architecture programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general architecture program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Architecture Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for architecture students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (With Aid)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 173 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for Architecture students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida General Architecture Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $12,017 for Architecture students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Architecture at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 21 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for architecture students with aid per year to attend Harvard University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad 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 General Architecture at Harvard

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 50 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students with aid list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,974 for architecture students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 97%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus General Architecture Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for architecture students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on General Architecture at University of California - Berkeley

6
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $15,296 for architecture students with aid per year to attend Yale University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Architecture at Yale

7
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

MIT also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $16,407 for Architecture students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at MIT

8

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for Architecture students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 87%.

Read more about General Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona

9

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Architecture students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on General Architecture at UCLA

10

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 108 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $18,350 for Architecture students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UT Austin General Architecture Report

11

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 111 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $18,048 for Architecture students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. 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 more about General Architecture at UMCP

12
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,411 for architecture students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Architecture at North Carolina State University

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 104 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for architecture students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Architecture at UMN Twin Cities

14

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for architecture students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at U-M

15
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $16,122 for architecture students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mississippi State General Architecture Report

16
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,721 for Architecture students with aid per year to attend UH.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at UH

17

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 37 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for architecture students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at University of South Florida - Main Campus

18
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $14,765 for Architecture students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Ball State

19
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 63 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $22,006 for Architecture students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia General Architecture Report

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 89 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for Architecture students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at UIC

21

With a ranking of #21, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 18 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $22,823 for architecture students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Architecture at Columbia University in the City of New York

22
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 100 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UO is $18,047 for Architecture students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 General Architecture at University of Oregon

23

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 157 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,919 for architecture students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station General Architecture Report

24

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $13,107 for architecture students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Arizona State University - Tempe

25
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

Rice also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,076 for Architecture students with aid per year to attend Rice.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Architecture at Rice University

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