Best Architecture Schools Near Madison, WI (2026)

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

Madison, Wisconsin has 3 accredited schools offering architecture programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Madison has a population of about 275,568. Median household income is $76,983 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Madison, WI metro area, the top-earning architecture-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $160,700 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Architecture Schools to Madison

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer architecture programs near Madison, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Madison 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 Madison. 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

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI 0.7 miles from Madison
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,792
Avg net price $17,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 246

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Architecture Wages Near Madison

Madison is part of the Madison, WI metro area (BLS area code 31540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $99,210 Madison, WI $101,963
Landscape Architects $82,870 Madison, WI $85,170
Architectural and Engineering Managers $160,700 Madison, WI $165,159
Architectural and Civil Drafters $72,210 Madison, WI $74,214
Urban and Regional Planners $103,940 Madison, WI $106,824
Construction Managers $119,840 Madison, WI $123,165
Interior Designers $64,780 Madison, WI $66,578
Civil Engineers $99,010 Madison, WI $101,757

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.

Madison at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 275,568 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,983 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 59.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Madison-Area Cities With Architecture Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited architecture schools are near Madison, WI?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering architecture programs near Madison. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Judson University (90.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying architecture roles near Madison?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying architecture-related roles near Madison are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($160,700), Construction Managers ($119,840), Urban and Regional Planners ($103,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fitchburg instead of Madison?

Fitchburg, WI is 6.8 miles from Madison 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 Madison an affordable place to study architecture?

Madison’s median household income of $76,983 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Madison while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Madison

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

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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