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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (Income $48-$75k)

74 Ranked Colleges
4,982 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Architecture is the 127th most popular major in the country with 4,982 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 74 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general architecture. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general architecture programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general architecture program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Architecture (Income $48-$75k)

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 25 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,815 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 General Architecture at Yale

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,669 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Harvard University General Architecture Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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 General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $2,834 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full MIT General Architecture Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 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 General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,106 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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.

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

5
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #5 spot on the list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $48-$75k list, Rice has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice University is $6,152 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Architecture at Rice

6

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 129 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,020 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UPenn.

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 95%. 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 University of Pennsylvania General Architecture Report

8
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 173 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full University of Florida General Architecture Report

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 67 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best General Architecture Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $10,481 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.

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

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Architecture Report

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $8,393 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full UW Seattle General Architecture Report

11

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 50 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $48-$75k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $15,415 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,911 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Architecture Report

13

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Architecture at UCLA

14

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our architecture students whose families make $48-$75k list, WUSTL has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $8,149 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 General Architecture at WUSTL

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

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. 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.

Notre Dame also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $14,020 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Notre Dame General Architecture Report

16

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. It costs about $16,134 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Austin.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

17
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Architecture Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General Architecture Report

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 102 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $15,958 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Architecture Report

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $14,424 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on General Architecture at NC State

20
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 89 diplomas to qualified ’s architecture students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UH is $13,382 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UH General Architecture Report

21

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 111 students in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $17,360 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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

22

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 $9,669 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on General Architecture at USF Tampa

23
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 100 ’s architecture degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UO is $16,014 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oregon General Architecture Report

24

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s architecture degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,273 for Architecture students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Architecture at Ohio State

25
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Architecture Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s architecture degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Architecture Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $21,526 for architecture students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about General Architecture at Carnegie Mellon

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