Architectural Engineering Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Integration of engineering principles with architectural design for building systems.
Starting Salary
$78K
median
Mid-Career
$110K
salary
ROI Payback
2.5 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
2%
rate
Architectural Engineering Overview
Integration of engineering principles with architectural design for building systems.
Category
Engineering
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
82%
Enrollment Trend
growing
Online Available
Yes
Underemployment
5%
Lifetime Premium
$1200K
Female Graduates
30%
Architectural Engineering Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$21,600
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$21,600
after scholarships
ROI Payback
1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$1,178,400
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,200,000) minus net degree cost ($21,600)
Architectural Engineering Salary Progression
Common Architectural Engineering Careers
Structural Engineer
Building Systems Engineer
MEP Engineer
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Architectural Engineering
#1
Penn State
#2
University of Texas
#3
University of Kansas
#4
Cal Poly
#5
Drexel
Related Majors
Architectural Engineering Degree FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
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