Architecture Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Architecture maps to BLS occupations averaging about $145,272, with roughly 43,490 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $10,108; common paths include Database Architects and Landscape Architects.
Key Statistics
Architecture: what the data shows
Common questions about architecture degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a architecture degree?
A Architecture program is classified under NCES CIP 44.0402 in the Public Administration field family (44.04).
A program of study that focuses on public works management skills and public works operation. Includes instruction in accountability, budget, conflict resolution strategies, ethics, finance, human resources, labor and employee relations, and operations management.
IPEDS counted 24 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of architecture degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 44.04 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Public Administration (CIP 44.0401)
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies (CIP 44.0403)
What do you learn in architecture?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Speaking, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Database Architects (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a architecture degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Architecture to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Database Architects | 64,770 | $135,980 |
| Landscape Architects | 19,580 | $79,660 |
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | 111,140 | $96,690 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | 8,440 | $105,670 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | 9,120 | $101,480 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a architecture degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Public Administration bachelor's program family: median debt $28,262, median earnings $65,093 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.62.
About 4.5% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $10,108 and median net price is $17,704.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Architecture and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$10,108 Median In-State Public
$55,339 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Architecture majors are, on average, $10,108 for in-state public colleges, and $55,339 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Architecture programs.
Institutions awarding the most Architecture degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Rhode Island | RI | 24 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
24 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Architecture from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Architecture.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 42,100 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Architecture programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasadena City College | CA | $1,180 |
| 2 | Lee College | TX | $2,166 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $2,322 |
| 4 | Pima Community College | AZ | $2,370 |
| 5 | Austin Community College District | TX | $2,550 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Architecture programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Delta Community College | MS | $2,276 |
| 2 | Pima Community College | AZ | $3,123 |
| 3 | Pasadena City College | CA | $3,123 |
| 4 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College | MS | $3,472 |
| 5 | CUNY City College | NY | $3,486 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Architecture programs.
Graduation Rates
54.87% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
54.63% Average Graduation Rate
576 Institutions Reporting
42.92% - 67.50% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Architecture programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 44.04 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Public Administration CIP 44.0401
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies CIP 44.0403
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $145,272. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Architecture graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Database Architects | $167,245 | 64,770 |
| Landscape Architects | $114,469 | 19,580 |
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | $126,476 | 111,140 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $123,189 | 8,440 |
| Computer Network Architects | $154,087 | 177,010 |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | $133,738 | 9,120 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Public Administration CIP family (6 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Architecture graduate.
- $28,262 median federal loan debt among completers
- $65,093 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.5% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$143,894 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Architecture majors is $143,894.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Architecture majors.
Occupations by Share
43,490 2023 Workforce
The number of Architecture graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Architecture by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Architecture in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Architecture.
Age distribution for Architecture degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
24 Total Degrees Awarded
9 Male (37.50%)
15 Female (62.50%)
Gender distribution of Architecture degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
16 White (66.67%)
4 Hispanic or Latino (16.67%)
2 Black or African American (8.33%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Architecture degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Architecture are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Architecture.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Architecture field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Architecture majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Architecture majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Architecture majors.
About
A program of study that focuses on public works management skills and public works operation. Includes instruction in accountability, budget, conflict resolution strategies, ethics, finance, human resources, labor and employee relations, and operations management.
In 2023, 24 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Architecture.
CIP Code
44.0402 - Architecture
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,262 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $65,093, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Architecture graduate.
Women earned 62.5% of 24 Architecture completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $145,272. The largest mapped role by headcount is Database Architects (64,770 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $10,108 in-state at public colleges and $55,339 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.