Environmental Design: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 11 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Environmental Design pays
Career outlook for Environmental Design graduates
The job market for the occupations Environmental Design graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 212,500 | +3.8% | $167,740 | Bachelor's degree |
| Architects, except landscape and naval | 123,600 | +3.9% | $96,690 | Bachelor's degree |
| Interior designers | 87,100 | +3.2% | $63,490 | Bachelor's degree |
| Urban and regional planners | 44,700 | +3.4% | $83,720 | Master's degree |
| Landscape architects | 21,800 | +3.5% | $79,660 | Bachelor's degree |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | 11,600 | +2.0% | $101,480 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Environmental Design vs similar majors
How Environmental Design stacks up against the closest fields in Architecture on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Environmental Design Architecture · this major | Real Estate Development | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Architectural Sciences and Technology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 47 D | 80 A | 75 B | 71 B |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $59,584 | $138,981 | $76,705 | $73,875 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $40,511 | $98,810 | $56,633 | $53,845 |
| ROI vs cost | +85% | +851% | +273% | +239% |
| Typical debt | $18,870 | $73,699 | $35,890 | $36,519 |
| Colleges offering it | 11 | 4 | 55 | 14 |
Environmental Design earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Environmental Design
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI | Associate's | $65,559 | $22,648 | +419% | Strong return |
| 2 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT | Associate's | $67,900 | — | +409% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM | Associate's | $60,529 | — | +401% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Associate's | $61,629 | — | +396% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | Associate's | $68,017 | $22,497 | +291% | Strong return |
| 6 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Associate's | $62,289 | $17,500 | +258% | Strong return |
| 7 | Boston Architectural College Boston, MA | Certificate | $75,519 | — | +195% | Strong return |
| 8 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH | Associate's | $58,480 | $25,072 | +136% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | Associate's | $51,936 | $20,000 | +33% | Break-even |
| 10 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras San Juan, PR | Associate's | $25,398 | $5,500 | -1,063% | Poor return |
| 11 | Conway School of Landscape Design Northampton, MA | Certificate | $58,166 | — | — | Not enough data |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.