Landscape Architecture Degree
Students study the design of outdoor spaces including parks, campuses, urban plazas, and residential landscapes, combining ecology, engineering, and aesthetics. Graduates typically pursue careers in landscape architecture firms, municipal parks departments, environmental restoration, and real estate development. Licensed landscape architects are in growing demand as communities invest in public spaces and climate-resilient design.
What Landscape Architecture Graduates Do
You’ll start your career supporting a licensed landscape architect, spending your days drafting plans in CAD, researching local plant life and building codes, and preparing materials for client presentations. After gaining experience and passing your licensure exam, you'll take the lead on designing everything from public parks and university campuses to residential gardens, overseeing projects from initial sketch to final construction.
With significant experience, your path can lead to management. As an architectural and engineering manager, you'll shift from hands-on design to overseeing entire departments, managing budgets, hiring staff, and ensuring large-scale projects are profitable and on schedule. Another option is to share your expertise by teaching at the university level. While job growth is steady rather than explosive, these senior roles offer significant leadership opportunities.
AI is poised to change the nature of your work. With moderate exposure, you can expect tools to automate routine tasks like generating initial site plans or analyzing environmental data. The job isn't disappearing, but your focus will shift. Your value will lie more in creative problem-solving, client collaboration, and the irreplaceable judgment needed to create beautiful, sustainable spaces on a real-world site.
Common Career Paths
Where Landscape Architecture graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 17,100 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% | |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | 900 | +2.0% | 49% | |
| Landscape architects | 1,700 | +3.5% | 42% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Landscape Architecture
17 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA |
62 61–63 |
$60,668/yr | 14.1x |
| 2 | Ball State University Muncie, IN |
62 62–64 |
$59,972/yr | 15.2x |
| 3 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA |
62 62–63 |
$47,253/yr | 24.2x |
| 4 | University of Georgia Athens, GA |
60 59–61 |
$54,777/yr | 13.9x |
| 5 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX |
60 60–61 |
$54,214/yr | 13.1x |
| 6 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX |
59 59–60 |
$54,701/yr | 13.3x |
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA |
58 57–59 |
$58,331/yr | 12.8x |
| 8 | Iowa State University Ames, IA |
58 57–59 |
$53,355/yr | 13.8x |
| 9 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI |
55 54–56 |
$57,920/yr | 8.8x |
| 10 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ |
54 54–55 |
$49,444/yr | 11.6x |
| 11 | Clemson University Clemson, SC |
53 52–54 |
$51,304/yr | 9.2x |
| 12 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
53 53–54 |
$50,394/yr | 10.7x |
| 13 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY |
48 47–49 |
$52,841/yr | 9.0x |
| 14 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA |
42 43–43 |
$46,163/yr | 5.6x |
| 15 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ |
40 42–41 |
$44,459/yr | 5.4x |
| 16 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA |
40 42–41 |
$43,413/yr | 6.3x |
| 17 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV |
40 44–41 |
$40,901/yr | 10.2x |
Highest Earning Landscape Architecture Programs
Schools where Landscape Architecture graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | $60,668/yr | 62 |
| Ball State University | $59,972/yr | 62 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $58,331/yr | 58 |
| University of Rhode Island | $57,920/yr | 55 |
| University of Georgia | $54,777/yr | 60 |
| Texas Tech University | $54,701/yr | 59 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $54,214/yr | 60 |
| Iowa State University | $53,355/yr | 58 |
| University of Kentucky | $52,841/yr | 48 |
| Clemson University | $51,304/yr | 53 |
Best ROI for Landscape Architecture
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Landscape Architecture.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 24.2x | $47,253/yr | 62 |
| Ball State University | 15.2x | $59,972/yr | 62 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 14.1x | $60,668/yr | 62 |
| University of Georgia | 13.9x | $54,777/yr | 60 |
| Iowa State University | 13.8x | $53,355/yr | 58 |
| Texas Tech University | 13.3x | $54,701/yr | 59 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | 13.1x | $54,214/yr | 60 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 12.8x | $58,331/yr | 58 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 11.6x | $49,444/yr | 54 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | 10.7x | $50,394/yr | 53 |
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