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Principal, architectural firm education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal, architectural firm. Principals, architectural firms usually study architecture, business, or accounting. 65% of principals, architectural firms hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 117 real principal, architectural firm resumes to see exactly what principal, architectural firm education sections show.
The most common colleges for principals, architectural firms are the Harvard University and the Harvard University.
There are also many online principal, architectural firm courses to help get the education required to be a principal, architectural firm.
What education do you need to become a principal, architectural firm?
What degree do you need to be a principal, architectural firm?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 9%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a principal, architectural firm?
- Architecture, 22%
- Business, 13%
- Accounting, 11%
- Law, 8%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for principals, architectural firms
| Principal, architectural firm common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | 7.41% |
| University of Connecticut | 7.41% |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 7.41% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 7.41% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 7.41% |
Best majors for principals, architectural firms
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture | 21.7% |
| 2 | Business | 13.3% |
| 3 | Accounting | 10.8% |
| 4 | Law | 8.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.0% |
Best colleges for principals, architectural firms
The best colleges for principals, architectural firms are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
A principal, architectural firm with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for principals, architectural firms. 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 principals, architectural firms.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for principals, architectural firms
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principals, architectural firms
The most affordable schools for principals, architectural firms are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for principals, architectural firms 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 principals, architectural firms.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principals, architectural firms
The hardest universities for principals, architectural firms to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Some great schools for principals, architectural firms 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 principals, architectural firms 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principals, architectural firms
The easiest schools for principals, architectural firms to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal, architectural firm 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 principals, architectural firms.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average principal, architectural firm salary by education level
| Principal, architectural firm education level | Principal, architectural firm salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $123,790 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $121,805 |
| Doctorate Degree | $121,311 |
Principal, architectural firm 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