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Design Architect Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design architect. Design architects usually study architecture, computer science, or environmental design. 67% of design architects hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,639 real design architect resumes to see exactly what design architect education sections show.
The most common colleges for design architects are the Central State University and the Central State University.
There are also many online design architect courses to help get the education required to be a design architect.
There are certain design architect certifications that you should consider. These design architect certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Certified Professional Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012.
What education do you need to become a design architect?
What degree do you need to be a design architect?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a design architect?
- Architecture, 45%
- Computer Science, 8%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for design architects
| Design Architect Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Central State University | 9.60% |
| New York Institute of Technology | 7.20% |
| University of Houston | 5.60% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.60% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.60% |
Best majors for design architects
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture | 45.2% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 8.2% |
| 3 | Environmental Design | 6.1% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.5% |
| 5 | Business | 5.4% |
Best colleges for design architects
The best colleges for design architects are Harvard University, Yale University, and Cornell University.
A design architect with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for design architects. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become design architects.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for design architects
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Top 10 most affordable universities for design architects
The most affordable schools for design architects are Florida Atlantic University, university of washington, and university of puerto rico - rio piedras campus.
If the best universities for design architects are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for design architects.
1. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,831
Cost of Attendance
19,559
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Cost of Attendance
25,275
3. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,094
Cost of Attendance
11,299
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Cost of Attendance
25,228
6. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,283
Cost of Attendance
22,243
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Cost of Attendance
28,501
8. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,101
Cost of Attendance
23,600
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design architects
The hardest universities for design architects to get into are Harvard University, Yale University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for design architects are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for design architects based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,517
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,471
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,465
10. Barnard College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
14%
SAT Average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design architects
The easiest schools for design architects to get into are Portland State University, north dakota state university, and university of colorado denver.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design architect without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for design architects.
1. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
1,111
2. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,170
3. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions Rate
64%
SAT Average
1,132
4. Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,174
5. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,219
6. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
1,120
7. Keene State College
Keene, NH • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
1,053
8. University of Oregon
Eugene, OR • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
1,199
9. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
72%
SAT Average
1,084
10. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
1,070
Average design architect salary by education level
| Design Architect education level | Design Architect salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $91,436 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,851 |
| Doctorate Degree | $89,457 |
Design Architect Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025