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2023 Best Value Colleges for Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

73 Ranked Colleges
4,854 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. 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 Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Architecture is the 147th most popular major in the country with 4,854 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 73 colleges that offered a degree in architecture. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent architecture programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the architecture program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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 Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

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 $0-$30k list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend 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.

Full Harvard Architecture Report

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale University.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Architecture at Yale University

3

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #3 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 ’s architecture degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $5,193 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Architecture Report

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Architecture at University of Pennsylvania

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Architecture at University of Florida

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

Rice also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $4,443 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 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%. 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 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 Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Architecture at U-M

8

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 129 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $8,450 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Architecture at University of California - Berkeley

9

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia Tech, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,818 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

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 more about Architecture at Georgia Tech

10

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 18 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $9,873 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.7% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia Architecture Report

11

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 12 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $1,556 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about 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. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 111 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #10 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMCP Architecture Report

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 104 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

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 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. 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 also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on Architecture at University of California - Los Angeles

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. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees 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 Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full University of Notre Dame Architecture Report

16

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about 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 public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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

Full NC State Architecture Report

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

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 63 ’s architecture 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 Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k 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%.

Read full report on Architecture at University of Virginia

19

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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 estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona

20

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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 also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,220 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

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 full report on Architecture at Texas A&M College Station

21

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 37 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 USF Tampa Architecture Report

22

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

UT Austin also took the #13 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $13,753 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Architecture at UT Austin

23

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Architecture at Arizona State University - Tempe

24
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 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 96%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University

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. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 94 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Architecture at Ohio State University - Main Campus

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