Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
Grad School Funding
I was recently admitted to the MArch program at UMN but my financial aid package was way less than I expected. I did my undergrad in Minnesota but because I was enrolled in secondary education I am not eligible for in-state tuition. I thought it might be more considering that I come from a low-income family and received a full ride to attend undergrad, but maybe grad programs don't focus as much on that.
I was hoping to defer a year so that I could receive in-state (and give myself the chance to apply to other programs which I did not do) but they have said that they don't often offer deferrals. I am also not sure that I am 100% on the program but it's the only one I applied for and was admitted to so I feel like it would be a waste to just forfeit my acceptance into a program seeing as I don't have a background in architecture and am unsure if I would be able to get into other programs next year.
I am hoping to get some advice on whether or not it seems worth it to attend now even though it means paying back a ton of loans in the future. I am also not sure what typical funding is so I can't tell if my package is objectively sufficient or not.
Also, I don't plan on staying in Minnesota forever, so I don't want my choice of grad school location to limit those options in the future. Wondering if anyone has any experience with working outside of where they went to school and how easy/difficult that was?
Lastly, if anyone has any insight into the UMN program I would love to hear about your experiences!
Architecture is not a lucrative field when you are just starting out. I would argue it isn't lucrative at all, or only to a small percentage of firm owners.
So, be mindful of what your debt repayment looks like. Most folks on this forum will tell all grad students to attend the cheapest school you get into.
Some states are now requiring job postings to list a salary/compensation range. Washington State is one of those. Maybe research current job postings in wage transparency states and then look at cost of living indexes in those cities to see how compensation and living expenses measure up... then add for student loan payments and see how the math works out.
For Seattle, it looks like a licensed architect with 10 years of experience can expect to earn between $85K and $110K. Someone just out of school I would guess would be in the $50K range.
For reference, the minimum wage in Seattle is $16.28. At full time (2,000 hours a year) that is $33,660. Entry level architecture will pay more than that, but not much, maybe 20% more.
Just remember, no arch degree is worth 50,000 (or more)... total. Even that number is absurd.
Depending on what you'd be doing for the next year, I don't see many downsides to not attending and applying elsewhere.
Now that you've gone through one admission cycle, you're in an even better position to do it again. It's very advantageous to study where you'd like to live. You'll also get more time to perfect your portfolio and add more materials.
Finally, money. Unfortunately, it might be best to assume you won't receive any funding, i.e. grants. Let alone grants that are guaranteed for the whole program. They only offer those to a handful of the very best students that they know will be considering other programs. And as you guessed, grad programs aren't concerned with family income. They assume all college grads are financially independent adults, which is a whole other conversation entirely...
Instead look at tuition, residency rules for state schools, cost of living, teaching or work positions in the school, competitive scholarships for continuing students, and how much debt you're comfortable with. There are lots of great programs at non-Ivy prices, but you have to do a lot of research. A year's worth, definitely! Good luck.
Keep in mind that the average starting salary for an architectural intern is $44k a year. More in major metro areas like NYC ($75k), however the cost of living is much, much higher.
Thank you all for the advice! It was super helpful. After speaking to the department coordinator about my concerns they offered me a much higher offer (I would now be paying about 40k in total for a 3.5 year program) which seems a lot more reasonable. I am really interested in architecture and the career pathways it might offer, but I am still feeling hesitant after reading other forum posts about the difficulty of the education, struggles in the job market, and low pay. So, I guess I am now wondering if the whole process is even worth it?
What are your alternative career possibilities if you don't go to grad school?
I have been working as a crepe chef while in undergrad for the past three years and my boss is opening up a new cafe/creperie which she has asked me to manage. It would be full-time and salaried. So, this is what I would do if not grad school, but as far as professional long-term pursuits I am really only interested in architecture and historic preservation.
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You won't be able to predict the future, so don't be too hard on yourself. The career certainly has unique challenges, but most careers are just as unstable at the macro scale.
forget an M.Arch, get yourself an M.RED. Make real stuff happen with a higher salary too. While still being in the industry.
I dunno, I've encounter plenty of failed real estate 'developers' who've done nothing.
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