Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Architectural technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an architectural technician. Architectural technicians usually study architecture, drafting and design, or architectural technology. 50% of architectural technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 488 real architectural technician resumes to see exactly what architectural technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for architectural technicians are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
There are also many online architectural technician courses to help get the education required to be an architectural technician.
There are certain architectural technician certifications that you should consider. These architectural technician certifications include LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED) and Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).
What education do you need to become an architectural technician?
What degree do you need to be an architectural technician?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 33%
- Master's, 9%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an architectural technician?
- Architecture, 33%
- Drafting And Design, 14%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for architectural technicians
| Architectural technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 9.62% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.77% |
| Florida International University | 5.77% |
| Madison Area Technical College | 5.77% |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | 5.77% |
Best majors for architectural technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture | 33.2% |
| 2 | Drafting And Design | 13.9% |
| 3 | Architectural Technology | 11.6% |
| 4 | Construction Management | 5.4% |
| 5 | Business | 5.0% |
Best colleges for architectural technicians
The best colleges for architectural technicians are Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An architectural technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for architectural technicians. 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 architectural technicians.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Kent State University
Kent, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,312
Enrollment
21,793
20 best online courses for architectural technicians
Advertising disclosure
1. Complete Course in AutoCAD: Architectural Working Drawings
Impress your Boss by making Professional & good-looking Architectural Working Drawings...
2. Revit Architecture 2021 Course - Practical Approach
Learn by building real world projects in Revit. We will build two house modals through out the course...
3. Mastering Construction/Project Management
Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...
4. Revit Architecture for Beginners
Revit Tutorial. Learn By Designing Real Buildings. Boost Your Portfolio. Practical Hands-on Revit Training Course...
5. New Home Construction - 2 of 8
From Architectural Plans To foundations...
6. Construction Project Scheduling
Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...
7. Contracts Management in Construction Projects
Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...
8. Construction Procurement Management
A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...
9. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction
Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...
10. Software architecture
Architecture is an important engineering step in the design and creation of software...
11. Construction Methodology Basics in Civil Engineering
New Home Construction & Building construction along with Home Repair ,Estimation & Plumbing With Video Step By Step...
12. Learning Autodesk Revit Architecture 2016
Building Information Modeling for Architectural Design...
13. Software Architecture for the Enterprise Architect
Learn software architecture skills required by an enterprise architect including UML modelling and architecture patterns...
14. Construction Claims Management - (9 PDUs)
Construction Claims Management ... Step-by-step from Definition to Submital...
15. Revit Architecture 2020 From Zero to Hero
Covering essentials, intermediate, and advanced features of Revit Architecture 2020-2021-2022-2023...
16. The Complete Guide to Construction Management
The Most Essential Course for EVERY Construction Project!...
17. Software Architecture & Design of Modern Large Scale Systems
Become a Software Architect or Technical Lead by Mastering Software Architecture, System Design & Big Data Processing...
18. Architecture Digital Collage
Communicating architecture in a compelling way...
19. Construction Cost Estimating and Management
Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...
20. 3D Architectural Design with Blender: A Practical Approach
From Blueprint to Rendering: A Comprehensive Blender 3 Architectural Guide...
Top 10 most affordable universities for architectural technicians
The most affordable schools for architectural technicians are New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York, florida international university, and university of puerto rico - rio piedras campus.
If the best universities for architectural technicians 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 architectural technicians.
1. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,120
Cost of attendance
13,997
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
4. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
5. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$3,503
Cost of attendance
12,843
6. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Cost of attendance
20,422
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
9. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
10. Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,645
Cost of attendance
20,098
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for architectural technicians
The hardest universities for architectural technicians to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for architectural technicians 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 architectural technicians 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for architectural technicians
The easiest schools for architectural technicians to get into are Ferris State University, south dakota state university, and kent state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an architectural technician 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 architectural technicians.
1. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
2. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
3. Kent State University
Kent, OH • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
4. Keene State College
Keene, NH • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,053
5. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
6. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,011
7. Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,174
8. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,132
9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
Admissions rate
63%
SAT average
1,071
10. New York Institute of Technology
Old Westbury, NY • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,172
Average architectural technician salary by education level
| Architectural technician education level | Architectural technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $87,015 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,386 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $89,191 |
Architectural technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for architectural technician jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025