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2026 Highest Paid General Architecture Grads in Illinois

[General Architecture](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/general-architecture/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their general architecture graduates go on to command.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying general architecture schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid General Architecture Grads in Illinois

2026 Highest Paid General Architecture Grads in Illinois

If you want to know which schools send general architecture graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.

Highest Paid General Architecture Graduates

1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

$76,175 Average Early-Career Salary

Southern Illinois University Carbondale tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying general architecture schools in Illinois. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. After graduating, general architecture degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale typically earn about $76,175 annually.

2

Judson University
Elgin, IL

$68,632 Average Early-Career Salary

Strong graduate earnings at Judson University earned it the #2 place for general architecture. Set in the city of Elgin, Judson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general architecture graduates from Judson University make a median of around $68,632 per year.

3

University Of Illinois At Chicago
Chicago, IL

$70,582 Average Early-Career Salary

A rank of #3 makes University Of Illinois At Chicago one of the highest-paying schools for general architecture. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. Early-career general architecture graduates from University Of Illinois At Chicago make a median of around $70,582 per year.

View All General Architecture Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their general architecture graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).

Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.

*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.