Best Architectural programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these.
69 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 25,964 people a year. The job pays a median of $210,280 in California across about 29,630 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
48 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 14.1901In California → | 5,001 | 19.3% | 30 | $70,724 | $24,833 |
| 2 | CIP 14.1001In California → | 4,119 | 15.9% | 35 | $77,636 | $25,000 |
| 3 | CIP 14.0801In California → | 2,722 | 10.5% | 23 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 4 | CIP 14.0901In California → | 2,585 | 10.0% | 30 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 5 | CIP 14.0501In California → | 1,791 | 6.9% | 23 | $64,660 | $23,246 |
| 6 | CIP 14.0201In California → | 1,420 | 5.5% | 15 | $72,210 | $25,000 |
| 7 | CIP 14.0701In California → | 961 | 3.7% | 14 | $73,072 | $23,399 |
| 8 | CIP 04.0902In California → | 906 | 3.5% | 11 | $48,514 | $27,000 |
| 9 | CIP 14.0903In California → | 690 | 2.7% | 14 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 10 | CIP 15.1501In California → | 595 | 2.3% | 12 | $68,912 | $25,236 |
| 11 | CIP 14.9999In California → | 539 | 2.1% | 12 | $73,678 | $22,938 |
| 12 | CIP 14.0101In California → | 504 | 1.9% | 21 | $67,734 | $24,375 |
| 13 | CIP 14.1801In California → | 476 | 1.8% | 14 | $74,110 | $23,250 |
| 14 | CIP 14.2701In California → | 426 | 1.6% | 7 | $79,942 | $20,500 |
| 15 | CIP 04.0201In California → | 330 | 1.3% | 7 | $47,542 | $27,000 |
| 16 | CIP 14.1401In California → | 329 | 1.3% | 14 | $64,608 | $23,250 |
| 17 | CIP 04.0301In California → | 310 | 1.2% | 10 | $42,824 | $25,237 |
| 18 | CIP 14.3501In California → | 307 | 1.2% | 6 | $74,748 | $24,989 |
| 19 | CIP 14.0803In California → | 290 | 1.1% | 4 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 20 | CIP 04.0601In California → | 265 | 1.0% | 7 | $53,098 | $27,000 |
| 21 | CIP 40.1001In California → | 171 | 0.7% | 6 | $72,216 | $24,750 |
| 22 | CIP 14.1099In California → | 132 | 0.5% | 3 | $77,636 | $25,000 |
| 23 | CIP 14.4701In California → | 126 | 0.5% | 3 | — | — |
| 24 | CIP 14.3601In California → | 108 | 0.4% | 7 | $72,154 | $21,457 |
| 25 | CIP 14.1201In California → | 102 | 0.4% | 9 | $57,457 | $24,706 |
| 26 | Architectural Engineeringmain feeder CIP 14.0401In California → | 89 | 0.3% | 1 | $73,510 | $25,790 |
| 27 | CIP 14.4801In California → | 81 | 0.3% | 3 | — | — |
| 28 | CIP 14.0999In California → | 71 | 0.3% | 3 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 29 | CIP 04.0501In California → | 62 | 0.2% | 3 | $44,811 | $23,250 |
| 30 | CIP 14.1301In California → | 57 | 0.2% | 5 | $73,378 | $17,083 |
| 31 | CIP 14.4501In California → | 51 | 0.2% | 3 | $59,620 | $23,012 |
| 32 | CIP 14.0902In California → | 47 | 0.2% | 2 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 33 | CIP 14.2301In California → | 46 | 0.2% | 1 | $73,724 | $23,250 |
| 34 | CIP 14.0899In California → | 39 | 0.2% | 3 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 35 | CIP 14.3301In California → | 38 | 0.1% | 2 | $75,998 | $25,314 |
| 36 | CIP 04.0401In California → | 32 | 0.1% | 3 | $40,176 | $22,844 |
| 37 | CIP 14.4201In California → | 28 | 0.1% | 3 | $72,645 | $24,250 |
| 38 | CIP 14.4301In California → | 26 | 0.1% | 2 | $68,934 | $19,344 |
| 39 | CIP 14.0301In California → | 22 | 0.1% | 1 | $65,020 | $23,000 |
| 40 | CIP 14.0804In California → | 20 | 0.1% | 2 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 41 | CIP 14.2501In California → | 15 | 0.1% | 2 | $68,913 | $25,000 |
| 42 | CIP 15.1503In California → | 15 | 0.1% | 2 | $68,912 | $25,236 |
| 43 | CIP 14.0799In California → | 10 | 0.0% | 1 | $73,072 | $23,399 |
| 44 | CIP 14.3901In California → | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | $64,080 | $23,410 |
| 45 | CIP 14.1101In California → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $77,174 | $26,966 |
| 46 | CIP 14.0299In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $72,210 | $25,000 |
| 47 | CIP 14.0802In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 48 | CIP 14.0805In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 31 of the 69 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 19 feeder programs | 2,503 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | $137,295 | 93% | — | 11% |
| 2 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 17 feeder programs | 2,034 | Mechanical Engineering | $69,555 | 86% | — | 27% |
| 3 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 28 feeder programs | 1,983 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | $89,684 | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 4 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 19 feeder programs | 1,732 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | $85,369 | 93% | — | 9% |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Public · 23 feeder programs | 1,642 | Mechanical Engineering | $83,011 | 86% | — | 31% |
| 6 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 14 feeder programs | 1,486 | Computer Software Engineering | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 7 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA Public · 15 feeder programs | 1,470 | Mechanical Engineering | $75,040 | 68% | — | 75% |
| 8 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 14 feeder programs | 1,447 | Mechanical Engineering | $67,633 | 87% | — | 29% |
| 9 | Stanford University Stanford, CA Private not-for-profit · 12 feeder programs | 1,371 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | — | 92% | $12,032 | 4% |
| 10 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 14 feeder programs | 1,065 | Civil Engineering, General | $75,165 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 11 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 869 | Mechanical Engineering | $60,996 | 69% | — | 46% |
| 12 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 10 feeder programs | 768 | Mechanical Engineering | $69,754 | 76% | — | 36% |
| 13 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 10 feeder programs | 685 | Engineering/Industrial Management | — | 57% | — | 93% |
| 14 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 10 feeder programs | 681 | Mechanical Engineering | $62,554 | 76% | — | 76% |
| 15 | Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 618 | Systems Engineering | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private not-for-profit · 12 feeder programs | 569 | Computer Engineering, General | $103,804 | 88% | $44,094 | 48% |
| 17 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 533 | Mechanical Engineering | $65,252 | 70% | — | 91% |
| 18 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 507 | Mechanical Engineering | $66,462 | 56% | — | 94% |
| 19 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 456 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | — | 83% | — | 33% |
| 20 | University of California - Merced Merced, CA Public · 8 feeder programs | 441 | Computer Engineering, General | $58,835 | 69% | — | 91% |
| 21 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 288 | Mechanical Engineering | $55,405 | 53% | — | 91% |
| 22 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 277 | Computer Engineering, General | $79,969 | 75% | — | 66% |
| 23 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 263 | Mechanical Engineering | — | 94% | $17,608 | 3% |
| 24 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 230 | Civil Engineering, General | $71,093 | 57% | — | 95% |
| 25 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 208 | Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | — | 62% | $26,940 | 85% |
All 69 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | Public | 2,503 | 19 |
| University of California - San Diego | La Jolla | Public | 2,034 | 17 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 1,983 | 28 |
| University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 1,732 | 19 |
| California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Public | 1,642 | 23 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 1,486 | 14 |
| California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona | Public | 1,470 | 15 |
| University of California - Irvine | Irvine | Public | 1,447 | 14 |
| Stanford University | Stanford | Private not-for-profit | 1,371 | 12 |
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 1,065 | 14 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 869 | 8 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 768 | 10 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 685 | 10 |
| University of California - Riverside | Riverside | Public | 681 | 10 |
| Naval Postgraduate School | Monterey | Public | 618 | 8 |
What architectural and engineering managers earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $171,270. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Architectural and Engineering Managers page.
How to become a Architectural
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Architectural and Engineering Managers25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 04.0201Architecture
- 04.0202Architectural Design
- 04.0301City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
- 04.0401Environmental Design/Architecture
- 04.0402Healthcare Environment Design/Architecture
- 04.0501Interior Architecture
- 04.0601Landscape Architecture
- 04.0902Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology
- 14.0101Engineering, General
- 14.0201Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
- 14.0202Astronautical Engineering
- 14.0299Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other
- 14.0301Agricultural Engineering
- 14.0401Architectural Engineering
- 14.0501Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
- 14.0601Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
- 14.0701Chemical Engineering
- 14.0702Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- 14.0799Chemical Engineering, Other
- 14.0801Civil Engineering, General
- 14.0802Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
- 14.0803Structural Engineering
- 14.0804Transportation and Highway Engineering
- 14.0805Water Resources Engineering
- 14.0899Civil Engineering, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing architectural and engineering managers programs in California.
What degree do you need to become an Architectural?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Mechanical Engineering, which awarded 5,001 degrees in California in 2024-25, 19.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Architectural?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 48 programs to this occupation. The largest are Mechanical Engineering, Electrical, Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering, plus 32 more. Together they graduate about 25,964 people a year in California.
How much do architectural and engineering managers earn in California?+
The median is $210,280 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 22.8% above the U.S. median of $171,270. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for architectural and engineering managers growing?+
BLS projects a +3.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 14,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
69 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 48 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do architectural and engineering managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Project Manager, Engineering Director, Biodiesel Division Manager, Engineering Program Manager, Project Engineering Manager, Project Development Director among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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