Architects fill a prestigious place in society, and architecture is an occupational goal that stands above many types of professional careers. Millions of Americans benefit from architects every day when they enter a hospital, stroll through the green spaces of a park or stand in awe in the front of one of this nation’s many monuments. Architects perform a significant creative role in the world. Architecture is the art and science of designing structures such as buildings, homes, parks, bridges and commercial edifices.

Architects, even at entry level, earn above-average salaries, with entry-level architects taking in about $40,000 per year and senior-level architects earning $80,000 and up.

Several architecture schools in California provide high-quality architecture degree programs: the University of Southern California, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of California at San Diego, San Diego State University, and the New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego.

College in California requires residency to attend one of these prestigious schools, each having generated notable architects for decades. Architecture schools in California, such as a Graduate program San Diego school, have tough entrance standards, which means classes will be filled with candidates that are qualified and who really want to excel in the field of architecture.

San Diego architecture schools are plentiful, from San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, to Woodbury University, to the New School of Architecture and Design. Students of architecture, such as the ones in the Master of Architecture programs, attend at least four years of courses based in architectural theory and practice, where opportunities to grow creatively are given to each student. In fact, many of these architecture schools hold annual architecture exhibits where students can share their ideas with the public. San Diego has a rich heritage of famous architects that have helped shaped the face of the city and its beautiful landscapes, such as the gifted corps of architects that helped design Balboa Park for the World’s Fair in the early 1900s.