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Architecture · Environmental Design Rank #5 of 6

Environmental Designat Auburn University

Graduates earn $44,929/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Environmental Design average. Base-case 10-year earnings $508K; scenarios range from $481K to $509K depending on AI disruption.

Auburn, AL Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
43 AVERAGE
45
Optimistic
44
Pessimistic
Earnings
$44,929
1-year post-graduation
ROI
8.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$508K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
53% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Auburn University

As one of only a handful of Environmental Design programs in the country, your degree from Auburn carries inherent weight. The program’s strong reputation, housed within the renowned College of Architecture, Design and Construction, creates a direct pipeline to major firms in the booming Southeast. You won't just be looking for jobs in Alabama; recruiters from Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte actively seek out Auburn grads for their blend of technical skill and design thinking. This regional economic growth, particularly in urban development and sustainable building, is what fuels the strong earning potential you see in the data. Your career won't be just drafting; you’ll be shaping the rapidly changing landscape of the New South. To stand out, proactively build a portfolio that showcases your mastery of AI-driven design and modeling tools to future-proof your skills.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$481K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score44/100
Earnings Multiple9.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$508K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple10.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$509K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple10.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Auburn University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Environmental Design graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$101,480/yr
Moderate
3
Architects, except landscape and naval
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 7,800 openings/yr
$96,690/yr
Moderate
4
Urban and regional planners
+3.4% 10-yr growth · 3,400 openings/yr
$83,720/yr
Moderate
5
Landscape architects
+3.5% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$79,660/yr
Moderate
6
Interior designers
+3.2% 10-yr growth · 7,800 openings/yr
$63,490/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Environmental Design

How Auburn University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
48
DW Score
$44K
1-yr earn
9.4x
ROI
Top score
University of Colorado Boulder
CO · Public
49
DW Score
$42K
1-yr earn
9.3x
ROI
University at Buffalo
NY · Public
46
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
13.4x
ROI
University of Hawaii at Manoa
HI · Public
46
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
12.4x
ROI
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
AZ · Public
33
DW Score
$37K
1-yr earn
6.7x
ROI
Also at Auburn University

Other top programs at Auburn University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Auburn University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Environmental Design at Auburn University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Environmental Design at Auburn University?

A score of 43/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Environmental Design. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Environmental Design careers?

With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $481,486 in decade earnings vs $509,247 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.