College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

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

73 Ranked Colleges
4,854 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 73 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in architecture. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great architecture programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More architecture Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 $30-$48k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for 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. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

Harvard also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,396 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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.

Read more about Architecture at Harvard

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. MIT 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.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $30-$48k list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $-2,603 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 98%. 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 Architecture at MIT

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 25 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $3,083 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Yale University.

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. 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 Architecture at Yale University

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 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 95%. 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 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 more about Architecture at University of Pennsylvania

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about 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. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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 Architecture at University of Florida

7

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 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 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Architecture Report

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,670 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Architecture at U-M

9

Washington University in St Louis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Washington University in St Louis 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.

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 yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $2,446 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Architecture at WUSTL

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 18 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,340 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice.

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

11

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 10 ’s architecture degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $11,712 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

12

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the 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.

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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Architecture Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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 Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $8,609 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Architecture at UMN Twin Cities

14

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 26 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

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 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles 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. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 111 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $11,567 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Architecture Report

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

North Carolina State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 44 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

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

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%. 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 Architecture at North Carolina State University

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 102 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 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 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona

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

With a ranking of #18, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also took the #4 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,136 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

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

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. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 37 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $5,632 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 92%. 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%.

Read more about Architecture at USF Tampa

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

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. 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 Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of Virginia Architecture Report

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. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

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

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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

22

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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 ASU - Tempe is $10,628 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 86%. 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Architecture Report

23

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also took the #13 spot in our “Best Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $14,977 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 12 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,608 for architecture students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

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. 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Architecture at Carnegie Mellon

25

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value architecture Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Architecture at Ohio State University - Main Campus

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options