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 vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 308 | 12,772 | 39% / 61% | 8% | $67,309 |
| Architecture | 109 | 5,356 | 50% / 50% | 9% | $71,752 |
| Interior Design | 126 | 2,499 | 8% / 92% | 6% | $58,279 |
| Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | 18 | 1,156 | 45% / 55% | 14% | $68,872 |
| Landscape Architecture | 39 | 684 | 46% / 54% | 7% | $67,798 |
| Interior Architecture | 32 | 593 | 12% / 88% | 3% | $61,910 |
| Urban Studies | 43 | 454 | 46% / 54% | 6% | $64,873 |
| Architectural Studies | 12 | 337 | 45% / 55% | 8% | $68,746 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 22 | 231 | 44% / 56% | 2% | $62,804 |
| Environmental Design/Architecture | 11 | 194 | 48% / 52% | 5% | $62,160 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 18 | 187 | 52% / 48% | 4% | $68,141 |
| Urban Planning | 7 | 157 | 62% / 38% | 4% | $71,632 |
| Architectural Sciences | 2 | 101 | 48% / 52% | 9% | $63,100 |
| Urban and Regional Planning | 5 | 83 | 51% / 49% | 2% | $59,946 |
| Housing and Interior Design | 2 | 75 | 44% / 56% | 0% | $92,042 |
| Architectural and Building Science Technology | 1 | 72 | 44% / 56% | 4% | $71,839 |
| Urban Studies and Planning | 2 | 64 | 53% / 47% | 12% | $63,281 |
| Architectural History and Criticism | 8 | 57 | 44% / 56% | 12% | |
| City and Regional Planning | 3 | 54 | 56% / 44% | 0% | $79,052 |
| Housing and Human Environments | 3 | 52 | 4% / 96% | 2% | $54,214 |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | 6 | 39 | 28% / 72% | 3% | $63,909 |
| Architecture Studies | 2 | 38 | 34% / 66% | 13% | |
| Architecture and Design Technology | 1 | 36 | 53% / 47% | 0% | |
| Spatial Sciences | 1 | 36 | 69% / 31% | 3% | $73,529 |
| Urban Design and Planning | 1 | 35 | 49% / 51% | 6% | $75,408 |
| Architectural Technology | 4 | 30 | 50% / 50% | 10% | |
| Architecture and Related Services | 2 | 27 | 56% / 44% | 0% | $64,533 |
| Architectural Technology/Technician | 1 | 24 | 75% / 25% | 0% | $67,034 |
| Landscape and Urban Studies | 1 | 20 | 40% / 60% | 0% | |
| Architectural Design Technology | 1 | 18 | 22% / 78% | 6% | |
| Urban Planning and Design | 1 | 17 | 53% / 47% | 12% | $75,873 |
| Community and Regional Planning | 1 | 14 | 57% / 43% | 7% | $69,279 |
| Architectural Design | 2 | 9 | 22% / 78% | 11% | |
| Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science (Course 11-6) | 1 | 9 | 22% / 78% | 0% | $101,306 |
| Architecture (Course 4) | 1 | 7 | 43% / 57% | 14% | $81,246 |
| Interior Architecture + Design | 1 | 3 | 0% / 100% | 33% | $48,172 |
| Environmental Design | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Urban and Metropolitan Studies | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% |