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Senior architect education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior architect. Senior architects usually study computer science, architecture, or electrical engineering. 69% of senior architects hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,553 real senior architect resumes to see exactly what senior architect education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior architects are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online senior architect courses to help get the education required to be a senior architect.
There are certain senior architect certifications that you should consider. These senior architect certifications include LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED) and The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF).
What education do you need to become a senior architect?
What degree do you need to be a senior architect?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 3%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a senior architect?
- Computer Science, 23%
- Architecture, 22%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for senior architects
| Senior architect common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 11.20% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.47% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 6.64% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.64% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 6.22% |
Best majors for senior architects
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 23.3% |
| 2 | Architecture | 22.3% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 9.0% |
| 4 | Business | 7.1% |
| 5 | Computer Engineering | 5.1% |
Best colleges for senior architects
The best colleges for senior architects are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A senior 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 senior 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 senior architects.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for senior architects
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior architects
The most affordable schools for senior 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 senior 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 senior 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. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
5. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior architects
The hardest universities for senior architects to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior architects
The easiest schools for senior 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 senior 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 senior 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. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
10. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,170
Average senior architect salary by education level
| Senior architect education level | Senior architect salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,614 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,241 |
| Doctorate Degree | $91,900 |
Senior 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