Best Architecture Schools Near Waltham, MA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Waltham, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering architecture programs. Waltham has a population of about 64,723. Median household income is $116,560 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 56.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning architecture-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $205,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Architecture Schools to Waltham

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer architecture programs near Waltham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waltham city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Waltham. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 6.4 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tufts University

Medford, MA 6.5 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA 7.5 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,803
Avg net price $25,496/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 7.9 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Boston Architectural College

Boston, MA 8.5 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,123
Avg net price $25,865/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 8.5 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 65.5 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,631
Avg net price $22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 66.0 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,938
Avg net price $24,034/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts architecture page.

Architecture Wages Near Waltham

Waltham is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $119,120 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $109,991
Landscape Architects $91,520 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $84,506
Architectural and Engineering Managers $205,130 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $189,409
Architectural and Civil Drafters $79,310 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $73,232
Urban and Regional Planners $103,460 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $95,531
Construction Managers $156,470 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $144,478
Interior Designers $81,480 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $75,235
Civil Engineers $107,670 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $99,418

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Waltham at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 64,723 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $116,560 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 56.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waltham-Area Cities With Architecture Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited architecture schools are near Waltham, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering architecture programs near Waltham. The closest is Harvard University in Cambridge, MA (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Boston Architectural College (8.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying architecture roles near Waltham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying architecture-related roles near Waltham are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($205,130), Construction Managers ($156,470), Architects, Except Landscape and Naval ($119,120). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Watertown instead of Waltham?

Watertown, MA is 3.6 miles from Waltham and has its own set of local architecture programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Waltham an affordable place to study architecture?

Waltham’s median household income of $116,560 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waltham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Architecture Programs

Other Programs Available in Waltham

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waltham:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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