Best Architectural programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these.
22 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,836 people a year. The job pays a median of $161,430 in Tennessee across about 3,600 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
29 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (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 Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 14.1901In Tennessee → | 643 | 22.7% | 11 | $70,724 | $24,833 |
| 2 | CIP 14.0801In Tennessee → | 352 | 12.4% | 8 | $69,574 | $24,625 |
| 3 | CIP 14.1001In Tennessee → | 276 | 9.7% | 12 | $77,636 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 14.0501In Tennessee → | 201 | 7.1% | 4 | $64,660 | $23,246 |
| 5 | CIP 14.0701In Tennessee → | 180 | 6.3% | 5 | $73,072 | $23,399 |
| 6 | CIP 15.1501In Tennessee → | 180 | 6.3% | 7 | $68,912 | $25,236 |
| 7 | CIP 14.0101In Tennessee → | 133 | 4.7% | 10 | $67,734 | $24,375 |
| 8 | CIP 14.3501In Tennessee → | 129 | 4.5% | 1 | $74,748 | $24,989 |
| 9 | CIP 04.0902In Tennessee → | 112 | 3.9% | 2 | $48,514 | $27,000 |
| 10 | CIP 14.0901In Tennessee → | 91 | 3.2% | 5 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 11 | CIP 14.0201In Tennessee → | 89 | 3.1% | 1 | $72,210 | $25,000 |
| 12 | CIP 14.2301In Tennessee → | 83 | 2.9% | 1 | $73,724 | $23,250 |
| 13 | CIP 04.0501In Tennessee → | 66 | 2.3% | 2 | $44,811 | $23,250 |
| 14 | CIP 14.4201In Tennessee → | 54 | 1.9% | 1 | $72,645 | $24,250 |
| 15 | CIP 14.1301In Tennessee → | 39 | 1.4% | 3 | $73,378 | $17,083 |
| 16 | CIP 14.4701In Tennessee → | 32 | 1.1% | 1 | — | — |
| 17 | CIP 14.1801In Tennessee → | 31 | 1.1% | 1 | $74,110 | $23,250 |
| 18 | CIP 14.1401In Tennessee → | 24 | 0.8% | 2 | $64,608 | $23,250 |
| 19 | CIP 04.0401In Tennessee → | 23 | 0.8% | 1 | $40,176 | $22,844 |
| 20 | Architectural Engineeringmain feeder CIP 14.0401In Tennessee → | 18 | 0.6% | 1 | $73,510 | $25,790 |
| 21 | CIP 04.0202In Tennessee → | 17 | 0.6% | 1 | $47,542 | $27,000 |
| 22 | CIP 04.0601In Tennessee → | 15 | 0.5% | 1 | $53,098 | $27,000 |
| 23 | CIP 14.9999In Tennessee → | 13 | 0.5% | 1 | $73,678 | $22,938 |
| 24 | CIP 14.0301In Tennessee → | 12 | 0.4% | 1 | $65,020 | $23,000 |
| 25 | CIP 14.1201In Tennessee → | 8 | 0.3% | 3 | $57,457 | $24,706 |
| 26 | CIP 14.0903In Tennessee → | 6 | 0.2% | 1 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 27 | CIP 40.1001In Tennessee → | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,216 | $24,750 |
| 28 | CIP 14.1101In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $77,174 | $26,966 |
| 29 | CIP 14.3601In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,154 | $21,457 |
Top 22 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 22 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 19 feeder programs | 1,174 | Mechanical Engineering | $65,756 | 74% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 7 feeder programs | 398 | Mechanical Engineering | $66,228 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 3 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 350 | Mechanical Engineering | $78,009 | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 4 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 9 feeder programs | 295 | Mechanical Engineering | $69,386 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 5 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 8 feeder programs | 248 | Engineering/Industrial Management | $60,284 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 6 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 85 | Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | $71,664 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 7 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 6 feeder programs | 71 | Architectural Engineering | — | 34% | — | 70% |
| 8 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 61 | Engineering/Industrial Management | — | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
| 9 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 39 | Mechanical Engineering | $67,725 | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 10 | The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Engineering, General | $63,746 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 11 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Architectural Design | — | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 12 | Union University Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Mechanical Engineering | — | 66% | $25,882 | 60% |
| 13 | Milligan University Milligan, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Mechanical Engineering | — | 63% | $19,143 | 72% |
| 14 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Engineering, General | — | 53% | — | 86% |
| 15 | Bryan College - Dayton Dayton, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Engineering, General | — | 50% | $16,130 | — |
| 16 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Engineering/Industrial Management | — | 46% | $19,206 | 67% |
| 17 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | — | 40% | — | 96% |
| 18 | Lee University Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Engineering, General | — | 63% | $18,918 | 71% |
| 19 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Engineering Mechanics | — | 49% | $24,187 | 65% |
| 20 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 3 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 21 | Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Engineering Science | — | 48% | $14,614 | 69% |
| 22 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | — | — | — | — |
All 22 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 1,174 | 19 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 398 | 7 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 350 | 10 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 295 | 9 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 248 | 8 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 85 | 2 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 71 | 6 |
| Christian Brothers University | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 61 | 5 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 39 | 5 |
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | Martin | Public | 28 | 2 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Union University | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 2 |
| Milligan University | Milligan | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 2 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Bryan College - Dayton | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
What architectural and engineering managers earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $171,270. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
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 Tennessee
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 Tennessee.
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 643 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 22.7% 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 29 programs to this occupation. The largest are Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, plus 24 more. Together they graduate about 2,836 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do architectural and engineering managers earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $161,430 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 5.7% below 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 Tennessee?+
22 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 29 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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