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2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

74 Ranked Colleges
4,982 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 74 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (Income $30-$48k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 21 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $1,396 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Harvard University

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 28 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $-2,603 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full MIT General Architecture Report

3
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 #3 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $3,083 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Architecture at Yale

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 $30-$48k. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read more about General Architecture at UPenn

5

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $4,699 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Architecture at Columbia

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 173 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UF General Architecture Report

7

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 129 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Berkeley General Architecture Report

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $5,670 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about General Architecture at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

9
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 12 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at Washington University in St Louis

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #10, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 18 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $30-$48k list, Rice has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,340 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice.

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 impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Rice

11

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $6,399 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus General Architecture Report

12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,609 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

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

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

13

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. It costs about $11,712 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about General Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

14

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $9,891 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Architecture Report

15

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $11,567 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about General Architecture at UMCP

16
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 44 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $9,448 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full North Carolina State University General Architecture Report

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 102 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,992 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 87%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Architecture Report

18
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 52 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,136 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergraduate 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. 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 Notre Dame

19

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,632 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on General Architecture at University of South Florida - Main Campus

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,063 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

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%. 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus

21

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 157 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $12,949 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Architecture at Texas A&M University - College Station

22

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 63 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,628 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

23

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 108 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $14,977 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 UT Austin

24
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $13,608 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about General Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University

25

With a ranking of #25, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,581 for Architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 University - Main Campus

Notes and References

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