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Principal architect education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal architect. Principal architects usually study architecture, computer science, or electrical engineering. 67% of principal architects hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,405 real principal architect resumes to see exactly what principal architect education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal architects are the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
There are also many online principal architect courses to help get the education required to be a principal architect.
There are certain principal architect certifications that you should consider. These principal architect certifications include The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a principal architect?
What degree do you need to be a principal architect?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a principal architect?
- Architecture, 27%
- Computer Science, 23%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for principal architects
| Principal architect common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 8.28% |
| Harvard University | 7.01% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 5.73% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.73% |
| University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | 5.10% |
Best majors for principal architects
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture | 26.6% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 23.1% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 9.7% |
| 4 | Business | 7.0% |
| 5 | Computer Engineering | 4.4% |
Best colleges for principal architects
The best colleges for principal architects are Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania.
A principal 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 principal 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 principal architects.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for principal architects
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal architects
The most affordable schools for principal architects are University of South Florida, city college of new york of the city university of new york, the, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for principal 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 principal architects.
1. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
2. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal architects
The hardest universities for principal architects to get into are Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for principal 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 principal 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal architects
The easiest schools for principal architects to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal 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 principal architects.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
9. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
10. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
Average principal architect salary by education level
| Principal architect education level | Principal architect salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $154,064 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $139,779 |
| Doctorate Degree | $154,317 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $119,271 |
Principal architect education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025