Architecture
What you'll do in college
Architecture is a five-year professional degree at most schools, with intense studio courses where you design real buildings under faculty critique. You'll also take structures, environmental systems, history of architecture, materials, and computer-aided design.
Studio is the heart of the major—expect to spend nights and weekends sketching, building physical models, and rendering 3D designs. Reviews ("crits") in front of faculty and visiting architects can be brutal but are how you learn to see and defend your work.
What you'll do after college
Grads work at architecture firms, design firms, real estate developers, and government agencies. Becoming a licensed architect requires several years of supervised practice plus the Architect Registration Examination.
Day-to-day work involves designing buildings, drawing construction documents, meeting with clients and contractors, and visiting sites. Pay is modest in the early years but rises with licensure and experience. The work is creative, visible, and deeply tied to community and place.
Famous graduates
- I.M. Pei — Designed the Louvre Pyramid; B.Arch from MIT
- Maya Lin — Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; B.A. in Architecture from Yale University
- Frank Gehry — Designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; B.Arch from USC
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 311 | 13,950 | 37% / 63% | 7% | $67,281 | 95% |
| Architecture | 106 | 5,926 | 47% / 53% | 8% | $69,649 | 95% |
| Interior Design | 118 | 2,619 | 8% / 92% | 6% | $60,572 | 94% |
| Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | 15 | 908 | 47% / 53% | 11% | $71,541 | 97% |
| Landscape Architecture | 44 | 869 | 46% / 54% | 5% | $68,021 | 96% |
| Interior Architecture | 35 | 787 | 11% / 89% | 4% | $64,245 | 97% |
| Architectural Studies | 15 | 478 | 37% / 63% | 9% | $69,085 | 93% |
| Urban Studies | 49 | 472 | 41% / 59% | 3% | $65,779 | 94% |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 22 | 253 | 47% / 53% | 2% | $63,676 | 96% |
| Environmental Design/Architecture | 12 | 196 | 46% / 54% | 5% | $61,423 | 95% |
| Urban Planning | 7 | 167 | 68% / 32% | 9% | $68,969 | 97% |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 17 | 161 | 54% / 46% | 3% | $65,296 | 95% |
| Architectural Sciences | 2 | 112 | 46% / 54% | 9% | $74,666 | 95% |
| Urban and Regional Planning | 6 | 94 | 52% / 48% | 2% | $62,583 | 96% |
| Architecture and Design Technology | 1 | 87 | 46% / 54% | 1% | $68,636 | 97% |
| Housing and Interior Design | 3 | 75 | 43% / 57% | 1% | $83,204 | 94% |
| City and Regional Planning | 3 | 73 | 48% / 52% | 3% | $69,838 | 97% |
| Housing and Human Environments | 3 | 66 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $61,751 | 97% |
| Architectural and Building Science Technology | 1 | 65 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $74,799 | 89% |
| Urban Studies and Planning | 2 | 62 | 39% / 61% | 3% | $62,922 | 94% |
| Spatial Sciences | 1 | 56 | 80% / 20% | 0% | $77,758 | 95% |
| Architectural History and Criticism | 6 | 38 | 32% / 68% | 13% | $67,125 | 94% |
| Urban Design and Planning | 1 | 36 | 53% / 47% | 0% | $68,983 | 91% |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | 6 | 33 | 24% / 76% | 3% | $65,338 | 89% |
| Architecture and Related Services | 2 | 33 | 48% / 52% | 0% | $64,988 | 97% |
| Urban and Regional Studies | 1 | 31 | 52% / 48% | 6% | $80,067 | 93% |
| Architectural Technology | 5 | 26 | 42% / 58% | 15% | $63,175 | 100% |
| Architecture Studies | 2 | 26 | 12% / 88% | 12% | $65,924 | 100% |
| Landscape and Urban Studies | 1 | 26 | 38% / 62% | 4% | $72,550 | 94% |
| Architectural Design Technology | 1 | 24 | 8% / 92% | 8% | $58,730 | 89% |
| Urban Planning and Design | 1 | 20 | 70% / 30% | 10% | $64,198 | 100% |
| Environmental and Interior Design | 1 | 19 | 32% / 68% | 16% | $68,466 | 95% |
| Architecture and Building Sciences | 3 | 18 | 39% / 61% | 0% | $66,661 | 96% |
| Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science (Course 11-6) | 1 | 17 | 35% / 65% | 6% | $103,037 | 94% |
| Architectural Technology/Technician | 1 | 16 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $76,042 | 97% |
| Community and Regional Planning | 1 | 16 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $71,653 | 100% |
| Architectural Design | 2 | 14 | 57% / 43% | 14% | $71,936 | |
| Environmental Design | 1 | 12 | 58% / 42% | 0% | $64,134 | |
| Architecture (Course 4) | 1 | 10 | 30% / 70% | 30% | $82,635 | 94% |
| Sustainable Design/Architecture | 1 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $64,820 | |
| Architectural History | 1 | 3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $64,968 | |
| Design, Innovation, and Society | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $69,527 | |
| Urban and Metropolitan Studies | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $68,138 |