Landscape Architecture Degree

17 schools compared · Average earnings $51,771/yr

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.

Schools Offering
17
Avg Grad Earnings
$51,771/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
53/100
AI Automation Risk
High
51% task exposure

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
$167,740
$135K$207K
14,500 +3.8% 41%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
$101,480
$78K$129K
900 +2.0% 49%
Landscape architects
$79,660
$63K$102K
1,700 +3.5% 42%
Architectural and engineering managers
$167,740
$135K $207K
14,500 openings/yr +3.8% growth 41% AI risk
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
$101,480
$78K $129K
900 openings/yr +2.0% growth 49% AI risk
Landscape architects
$79,660
$63K $102K
1,700 openings/yr +3.5% growth 42% AI risk

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.

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
Want to compare two Landscape Architecture programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Landscape Architecture graduates earn?
Across 17 schools, Landscape Architecture graduates earn an average of $51,771 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $40,901 to $60,668 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Landscape Architecture?
Landscape Architecture is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 51% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Landscape Architecture program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranks #1 for Landscape Architecture with a score of 62/100 and graduate earnings of $60,668/yr.
What's the outlook for a Landscape Architecture degree?
On average, Landscape Architecture graduates earn 11.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →