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Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California

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2023 Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California

11 Colleges
$56,106 Avg Salary
$24,515 Avg Student Debt

With 2,293 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, architecture and related services is the #28 most popular major in California.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 11 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

The following schools top our list of the Best Architecture & Related Services Colleges.

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Berkeley the best school in California for architecture and related services students. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that architecture and related services majors at UC Berkeley take out is $15,000.

Full Architecture & Related Services at University of California - Berkeley Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a very large student population.

Architecture & Related Services majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out an average of $20,187 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $454.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Newschool of Architecture and Design. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California list. Newschool of Architecture and Design is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.

On average, architecture and related services graduates from Newschool of Architecture and Design take out $39,668 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Architecture & Related Services at Newschool of Architecture and Design

The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best architecture and related services schools in California. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

On average, architecture and related services graduates from USC take out $21,750 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $551.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.

After completing their degree, architecture and related services graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $22,750.

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University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best architecture and related services programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#7

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA

California College of the Arts landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best architecture and related services programs. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.

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University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a very large student population.

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#9

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA

Woodbury University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Burbank, Woodbury is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that architecture and related services majors at Woodbury take out is $45,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $279, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Architecture & Related Services at Woodbury University Report

University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Architecture & Related Services at University of California - Irvine Report

Explore all the Best Architecture & Related Services Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 349
Oregon 269
Hawaii 74
Nevada 78

Major Annual Graduates
Architectural Sciences & Technology 6,781
General Architecture 4,982
Urban & Regional Planning 2,419
Landscape Architecture 905
Environmental Design 741
Interior Architecture 728
Real Estate Development 420
Architecture (Other) 202
Architectural History 147

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer & Information Sciences 254,454
Engineering 198,468
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 177,778
Engineering Technologies 85,188
Mathematics & Statistics 52,396

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 Lorenzo Cafaro.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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