innovate arkansas

A recent college graduate who majored in architecture - and can find a job - will earn $36,000 annually, according to a recent report from the Georgetown Center on Education & the Workforce.

The report attempted to determine if college was still worth its price and relied on information from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey conducted in 2009 and 2010 for recent grads between the ages of 22 and 26.

"A major conclusion of the new report is that it all depends on your major," according to a Jan. 4 news release from the center. "And while a college degree gives job seekers a formidable advantage over those without, the study points out, not all degrees are created equal."

Graduates with degrees in engineering made the most at $55,000 annually, while $30,000 was the lowest, a pay level that applied to several majors, including the arts.

The unemployment rate for recent grads who majored in architecture was 13.9 percent, which was the highest, the report said.

The five-year program at the University of Arkansas' Fay Jones School of Architecture is one of the more expensive undergraduate programs, said the school's dean, Jeff Shannon. Tuition and room and board currently run about $15,000 per year.

Other expenses are also incurred. Architecture students are required to have a high-end computer to support the drawing programs. In addition, international study is required. A student can either spend a semester in Rome or two summer semesters in Peru. Those costs can add another $25,000 to the cost of the program.

See Also: Unemployment Rate for New Architecture Grads Near 14%