Architectural Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.04. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 61 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 | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 30 | 902 | $76,844 | $89,406 | $23,654 18 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 16 | 197 | $84,499 | $98,356 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 7 | 22 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 3 | 62 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University AL · Public · 113 graduates measured | $84,099 | $97,759 | $18,750 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 47 graduates measured | $81,271 | $92,767 | $22,769 |
| University of Kansas KS · Public · 20 graduates measured | $79,698 | $84,319 | $21,957 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering WI · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $79,100 | $88,756 | $27,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 115 graduates measured | $78,742 | $94,483 | $31,000 |
| North Carolina A & T State University NC · Public · 26 graduates measured | $78,568 | $73,826 | $27,500 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 38 graduates measured | $77,045 | $92,687 | $15,504 |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 57 graduates measured | $76,714 | $91,336 | $25,314 |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $76,062 | $85,839 | $30,007 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 49 graduates measured | $75,012 | $93,710 | $21,729 |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 33 graduates measured | $74,539 | $89,797 | Data unavailable |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $71,590 | $85,112 | $27,000 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology MO · Public · 27 graduates measured | $69,540 | $85,754 | $25,390 |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $65,318 | $70,912 | $24,540 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $52,053 | Data unavailable | $20,500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University AL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $111,292 | $115,946 | Data unavailable |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering WI · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $86,276 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $85,841 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 43 graduates measured | $84,576 | $98,877 | Data unavailable |
| Lawrence Technological University MI · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $81,116 | 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 Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | $96,870 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | 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 (1)
- 14.0401 Architectural Engineering