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2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

74 Ranked Colleges
4,982 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Architecture Schools 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that 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.

This year’s “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 74 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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The architecture school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $2,564 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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.

Read more about General Architecture at Harvard University

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $961 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 undergraduate 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.

Read more about General Architecture at Yale

3
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $5,193 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Architecture at MIT

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. 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.

Full UPenn General Architecture Report

5
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 #5 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 ’s 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 University of Florida is $65 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Read full report on General Architecture at University of Florida

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $4,443 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about General Architecture at Rice University

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 67 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

8

University of California - Berkeley came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 129 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

9

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 50 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $8,818 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

10

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 18 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $9,873 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

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%. 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.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York General Architecture Report

11
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #11, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $1,556 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 full report on General Architecture at WUSTL

12

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 111 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about General Architecture at University of Maryland - College Park

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 104 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about General Architecture at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

14

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 26 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Architecture Report

15
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 52 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Notre Dame General Architecture Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 46 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Architecture at UW Seattle

17
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #17, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 44 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,283 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at NC State

18
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #18, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 63 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $12,476 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 - Main Campus General Architecture Report

19

With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Architecture Report

20

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 157 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $11,220 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Texas A&M University - College Station

21

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,176 for Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 92%.

Read more about General Architecture at USF Tampa

22

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 108 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,753 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at 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.

Read full report on General Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin

23

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 63 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Architecture Report

24
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $16,456 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Carnegie Mellon University General Architecture Report

25

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 94 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Architecture at Ohio State

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