2023 Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Architecture & Related Services School for You
In 2020-2021, 17,325 people earned a degree or certificate in architecture and related services, making the major the #29 most popular in the United States.
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. This report analyzed 112 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for architecture and related services students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 15% Best Architecture & Related Services Schools
Our 2023 rankings named North Dakota State University - Main Campus the best value school in the United States for architecture and related services students. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Dakota State University are $14,876 per year. On average, architecture and related services graduates from North Dakota State University take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Dakota State University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a great value for architecture and related services students. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly Pomona are $19,319 per year. After completing their degree, architecture and related services graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $22,750.
Full Architecture & Related Services at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Report
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The excellent programs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best architecture and related services schools in the United States. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $28,105 in tuition and fees each year. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 5% of our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UT Austin are $40,996 a year. Architecture & Related Services majors at UT Austin take out an average of $21,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $266.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UT Austin also did well on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best architecture and related services schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UNC Charlotte undergraduate students pay an average of $20,622 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, architecture and related services majors at UNC Charlotte accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #6 on the list. Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.
Georgia Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $33,964 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, architecture and related services majors at Georgia Tech accumulate an average of around $30,750 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, Georgia Tech is in the top 1% of all schools on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list.
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Newschool of Architecture and Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #7 on the list. Newschool of Architecture and Design is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Newschool of Architecture and Design are $29,427 per year. 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.
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Mississippi State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value architecture and related services programs. Mississippi State is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Mississippi State.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mississippi State are $24,900 per year. After completing their degree, architecture and related services graduates from Mississippi State carry an average student debtload of $31,000.
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With a ranking of #9, North Carolina State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for architecture and related services students. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NC State are $29,916 per year. On average, architecture and related services graduates from NC State take out $22,875 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, NC State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list.
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University of Houston landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value architecture and related services programs. UH is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Houston.
UH undergraduate students pay an average of $21,891 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, architecture and related services graduates from UH carry an average student debtload of $27,226.
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Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value architecture and related services programs. Located in the town of Stillwater, OSU is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at OSU are $24,764 a year. After completing their degree, architecture and related services graduates from OSU carry an average student debtload of $29,425.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, OSU also is in the top 20% of our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking.
Full Architecture & Related Services at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Report
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Virginia Tech landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value architecture and related services programs. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Virginia Tech are $33,857 a year. Architecture & Related Services majors at Virginia Tech take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $799.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Virginia Tech also did well on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Boston Architectural College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value architecture and related services programs. Boston Architectural College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Boston Architectural College are $22,144 a year. Architecture & Related Services majors at Boston Architectural College take out an average of $52,750 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $427.
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With a ranking of #14, Louisiana Tech University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for architecture and related services students. Located in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Louisiana Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $16,806 in tuition and fees each year. Architecture & Related Services majors at Louisiana Tech take out an average of $24,050 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Architecture & Related Services at Louisiana Tech University Report
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for architecture and related services students. It came in at #15 on the list. UNL is a fairly large public school located in the city of Lincoln.
UNL undergraduate students pay an average of $26,720 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that architecture and related services majors at UNL take out is $25,708. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $358.
UNL excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list.
Full Architecture & Related Services at University of Nebraska - Lincoln Report
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University of California - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools ranking. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UCLA undergraduate students pay an average of $43,012 in tuition and fees each year.
UCLA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Architecture/Urban Planning Schools list.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Architecture/Urban Planning students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 18 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 19 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
| 21 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 21 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
Architecture & Related Services by Region
View the Best Value Architecture/Urban Planning Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Architecture & Related Services Rankings
Majors Related to Architecture & Related Services
Architecture & Related Services Majors to Study
| 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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 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 Lorenzo Cafaro.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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