by our College Data Analytics Team
[Architectural Engineering](/majors/engineering/architectural-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for architectural engineering students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in architectural engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in architectural engineering, no school beat Pennsylvania State University Main Campus this year. Set in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Median earnings reach $63,435 ten years out. The acceptance rate is 61%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Drexel University earned it the #2 place for architectural engineering. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,412. Architectural Engineering graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career architectural engineering graduates make about $76,272. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.