Architectural Sciences and Technology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 04.09. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 359 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 51 | 641 | Data unavailable | $57,637 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 82 | 642 | $47,589 | $55,403 | $12,000 3 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 84 | 3,902 | $58,941 | $70,074 | $25,750 52 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 108 | 4,491 | $64,290 | $77,466 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 12 | 42 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 7 | 16 | $61,980 | $72,699 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 14 | 80 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $56,465 | $56,039 | $18,500 |
| Ranken Technical College MO · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $51,467 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Springfield Technical Community College MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $46,653 | $46,326 | Data unavailable |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology PA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $46,372 | $55,812 | $12,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 69 graduates measured | $84,716 | $103,414 | $16,125 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public · 95 graduates measured | $76,611 | $93,156 | $25,000 |
| California College of the Arts CA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $70,221 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $69,892 | $71,914 | $18,319 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 126 graduates measured | $68,292 | Data unavailable | $22,500 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $65,338 | $78,741 | $26,000 |
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $64,951 | Data unavailable | $24,500 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 99 graduates measured | $63,810 | $76,367 | $29,702 |
| Pratt Institute-Main NY · Private, nonprofit · 82 graduates measured | $63,453 | $84,447 | $27,500 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 28 graduates measured | $63,448 | Data unavailable | $21,118 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public · 127 graduates measured | $62,547 | Data unavailable | $30,710 |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $61,214 | Data unavailable | $28,628 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus OK · Public · 43 graduates measured | $60,587 | $73,075 | $28,456 |
| Florida Atlantic University FL · Public · 33 graduates measured | $60,052 | Data unavailable | $17,047 |
| Southern California Institute of Architecture CA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $59,753 | Data unavailable | $39,125 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $75,818 | $88,967 | Data unavailable |
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $75,681 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 50 graduates measured | $74,280 | $85,062 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $72,490 | $83,426 | Data unavailable |
| Southern California Institute of Architecture CA · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $72,304 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 88 graduates measured | $71,907 | $83,355 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 42 graduates measured | $71,856 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 78 graduates measured | $70,696 | $78,883 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $69,439 | $74,838 | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 18 graduates measured | $69,308 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $69,108 | $80,963 | Data unavailable |
| Lawrence Technological University MI · Private, nonprofit · 92 graduates measured | $68,395 | $74,672 | Data unavailable |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 28 graduates measured | $67,494 | $73,050 | Data unavailable |
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $67,307 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rhode Island School of Design RI · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $67,299 | $80,220 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Catholic University of America DC · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $71,500 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $69,574 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE · Public · 16 graduates measured | $60,212 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Newschool of Architecture and Design CA · Private, for-profit · 61 graduates measured | $59,404 | $71,965 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY City College NY · Public · 55 graduates measured | $55,063 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Architectural Sciences and Technology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and civil drafters | $66,150 | +5.2% | Associate's degree |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | $96,870 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (3)
- 04.0901 Architectural Technology/Technician
- 04.0902 Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology
- 04.0999 Architectural Sciences and Technology, Other