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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Architecture (Income $0-$30k)

81 Ranked Colleges
3,736 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 5,051 people earned their degree in general architecture, making the major the 111th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general architecture graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $46,998 and had an average of $41,356 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,736 general architecture graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 81 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general 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

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

Yale also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $2,125 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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 University

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 16 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $1,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive 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 Princeton University

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $4,535 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 98%. The impressive 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.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Architecture Report

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 more about General Architecture at University of Florida

#6

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 13 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,273 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Architecture at Washington University in St Louis

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Architecture at U-M

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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.

Read full report on General Architecture at UW Seattle

#9

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Architecture at University of Notre Dame

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 97 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for bachelor’s degree 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 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley General Architecture Report

#11

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Architecture at UMCP

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $9,162 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 more about General Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#13

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,285 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University General Architecture Report

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 17 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,916 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Architecture at Columbia

#15

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Architecture at UMN Twin Cities

#16

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 33 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $10,239 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Architecture at Northeastern University

#17

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Architecture at UCF

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 87 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Ohio State

#19

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $8,882 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 97%.

Read more about General Architecture at University of Virginia

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona

#20

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Architecture Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Architecture at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#23

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Architecture at University of California - Los Angeles

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s architecture degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,224 for Bachelor’s Degree Architecture students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Knoxville.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Architecture at UT Knoxville

#25

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s architecture degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $6,085 for bachelor’s degree architecture students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Architecture at FAU

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Danichou.

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