2023 Best Value General Architecture Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best General Architecture School for You
General Architecture is the #130 most popular major in the country with 4,982 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value General Architecture Schools ranking. This report analyzed 81 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for architecture students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best General Architecture Schools
Our 2023 rankings named North Dakota State University - Main Campus the best value school in the United States for general architecture students. Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a large student population.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, architecture graduates from North Dakota State University carry an average student debtload of $25,000.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Dakota State University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Architecture Schools list.
Read full report on General Architecture at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a great value for general architecture students. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal Poly Pomona are $19,319 a year. After completing their degree, architecture graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $29,000.
Read full report on General Architecture at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Architecture Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Ponce, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce are $5,545 per year. After completing their degree, architecture graduates from Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce carry an average student debtload of $33,750.
Request Information
The excellent programs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best general architecture schools in the United States. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $28,105 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, architecture majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo accumulate an average of around $25,127 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $454.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also did well on our Best General Architecture Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kennesaw State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Architecture Schools list. KSU Georgia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kennesaw.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at KSU Georgia are $17,690 per year. While working on their degree, architecture majors at KSU Georgia accumulate an average of around $37,950 in student debt.
Full General Architecture at Kennesaw State University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general architecture students. UNC Charlotte is a very large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte are $20,622 per year. While working on their degree, architecture majors at UNC Charlotte accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Request Information
North Carolina State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general architecture students. It came in at #7 on the list. NC State is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NC State are $29,916 a year. After completing their degree, architecture graduates from NC State carry an average student debtload of $24,250.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, NC State also did well on our Best General Architecture Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general architecture students. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Virginia Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $33,857 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that architecture majors at Virginia Tech take out is $31,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $799, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, Virginia Tech is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best General Architecture Schools list.
Request Information
Alfred State College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Architecture Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Alfred, Alfred State is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Alfred State are $15,937 per year. While working on their degree, architecture majors at Alfred State accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.
Read full report on General Architecture at Alfred State College
Request Information
Louisiana Tech University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Architecture Schools list. Louisiana Tech is a fairly large public school located in the town of Ruston.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Louisiana Tech are $16,806 per year.
Read full report on General Architecture at Louisiana Tech University
Request Information
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Architecture Schools ranking. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the city of Austin.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UT Austin are $40,996 a year. On average, architecture graduates from UT Austin take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $266.
In addition to its great value ranking, UT Austin is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best General Architecture Schools list.
Read full report on General Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin
Request Information
Mississippi State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Architecture Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Mississippi State, Mississippi State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mississippi State are $24,900 per year. After completing their degree, architecture graduates from Mississippi State carry an average student debtload of $31,000.
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for General Architecture students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value General Architecture Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus | Atlanta, GA |
| 14 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 15 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 16 | Boston Architectural College | Boston, MA |
General Architecture by Region
View the Best Value General Architecture Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More General Architecture Rankings
General Architecture Related Majors for Architecture
General Architecture is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Architecture
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Architectural Sciences & Technology | 6,781 |
| Urban & Regional Planning | 2,419 |
| Landscape Architecture | 905 |
| Environmental Design | 741 |
| Interior Architecture | 728 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Danichou.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© 2025 Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.