M.Arch in USA for Indian Students: Top Universities, Courses, Eligibility & Ranking

Masters of Architecture in USA or M.Arch. is a 12-month to 28-month full-time program offered to international students. Universities in the USA offer this master’s program to students at an affordable tuition fee. These universities provide better career opportunities to students and a platform to enhance their skills and imagination.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) of the USA grants the ‘Architect License’ to students. This will allow students to work as an architect anywhere in the world. The average salary of students who have completed a Master's in Architecture from a US university is around USD 110,000 per year.

M.Arch. in USA Highlights

There are 95+ top universities for masters in architecture in the USA for international students. To get admission to MArch in USA, students have to meet the entry requirements and submit the admission application by the deadline. The below table includes the highlights of M.Arch. in the USA:

Number of Masters in Architecture Colleges in the USA	95+ (approx.)
Masters in Architecture Cost in the USA	1st Year Average Tuition Fee - INR 29.75 lakh Average Living Expenses - INR 8.79 lakh (Per Year)
Top Specializations	Architecture
Admission Process	Bachelor’s Degree + IELTS Score + Work Proof (if applicable) + Letters of Recommendation + Resume + Statement of Purpose (SOP)

The USA is one of the most popular English-speaking countries in the world. Every year, plenty of students from all over the world apply for admission to top universities in the country to complete their M.Arch. degree.

Top 10 M.Arch. Universities in USA by QS Rankings

The United States is the home of world-ranked universities that accept the admission application of foreign students. We have mentioned below the top 10 Universities in the USA to study M.Arch. program.

Universities	QS Ranking (by subject) 2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	2
Harvard University	6
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	9
Columbia University	15
Georgia Institute of Technology	18
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	18
Cornell University	21
Stanford University	34
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	35
University of Pennsylvania	40

(Source: QS)

Top M.Arch. Universities in USA by THE Ranking

We have listed below some of the top-ranked universities in the USA with their ranking as declared by the Times Higher Education 2022. Students can check it and plan to get admission at any of them.

Universities	THE Ranking (by subject) 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	2
Harvard University	6
Princeton University	7
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	9
Columbia University	11
Yale University	12
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	13
University of Pennsylvania	14
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	16
New York University	17

(Source: THE Ranking)

Masters of Architecture in USA Specializations

There are two types of M.Arch. degrees that students can study at Universities in USA i.e. M.Arch. I and M.Arch. II. This master’s degree is available in only one specialization i.e. architecture.

Also read

Masters of Architecture in UK	Masters of Architecture in Canada
Masters of Architecture in Australia	Masters of Architecture in New Zealand

Masters of Architecture Fees in USA

Students can easily get admission at Universities in the USA that offer a Master in Architecture program at an affordable tuition fee.

• 1^st-Year average tuition fees at universities in the USA is around INR 29.75 lakh.
• The Average Cost of Living in USA for Indian students is around 8.79 lakh yearly.

Student’s Visa cost for USA

Students who are looking to get admission to universities in the USA require a Visa. They need to apply for F1 Student Visa to take admission to the master’s program in the USA. The cost of a student visa for the USA is around INR 11,9000. Students can check the complete USA Students Visa Guide which will brief an idea of the visa type available in the country.

Masters of Architecture in the USA: Eligibility Criteria

Admission to M.Arch. program at popular universities in the USA is based on the criteria. These admission criteria may change according to the university and the location. We have mentioned below the common criteria for students who are looking to complete a Master’s in the USA in Architecture.

• Complete the 12^th class education from a recognized institution. There is no specific cutoff mentioned for the 12^th class.
• Five-year Bachelor of architecture degree or equivalent from a recognized University/college.
• Apply for any of the mentioned English proficiency exams i.e. IELTS Exam, TOEFL, Duolingo, or C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency.
• GMAT and GRE are some important exams taken by Graduate students to study in the USA. 
• A Statement of Purpose (SOP).
• Letter of Recommendation (LORs).

Work permit after Masters in Architecture in USA

The USA is the most preferred destination for students to study and stay. Almost every student wants to work in the country after completing their degree. Students are required Post Study Work Permit in the USA and they need to meet all the criteria to get it.

Masters of Architecture Scholarship for USA

Universities in the USA has more than 190 scholarship programs for Master’s degree. Students will get these scholarships based on some criteria mentioned by the universities. You can check below some of the popular Scholarships in the USA for students.

Narotam Sekhsaria’s Scholarships	Hani Zeini Scholarship
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship	GyanDhan Scholarship

Masters of Architecture Jobs & Salaries in USA

Students can find below some of the most popular job profiles and their average yearly salary package. Recruiters in the USA hire architects with multiple profiles and offer them better salary packages.  

Job Profiles	Average Salary Packages (in USD) Per Year
Architectural Designer	55,757
Project Architect	73,072
Design Architect	63,241
Project Manager	78,189
Intern Architect	48,786

(Source: Payscale)

(Source: Indeed)

List of Top Publicly Funded Universities in USA

Publicly funded universities in the USA are the preferred choice of many foreign students. Every year, plenty of students apply for admission to these universities and complete their degrees. We have below some of the most popular publicly funded universities in the USA for foreign students.

Universities	1st Year Course Fee (in Lakh)
Arizona State University	30.8
Texas A & M University	15.8
University of California - Berkeley Campus	45.1
The University of Texas at Austin	14.5
Georgia Institute of Technology	25.7
University of South Florida	27.8

(Source: studyabroad.shiksha.com)

Top Masters in Architecture Recruiters in USA

The top recruiters available in the USA hire Master of Architecture graduates and offer them a better salary package. We have below mentioned some of the popular recruiters with their salary packages that students get while working in the organization.

Recruiters	Salary Package (in USD) Per Year
NVIDIA	147,786
Fidelity Investments	145,384
Jamy Interactive	145,289
SAP	143,375
Spectrum	143,241

(Source: Indeed)

Chandra Shekhar Singh Sengar11-10-2023 16:30