Environmental Design: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Environmental Design graduates earn a median $57,461 four years after finishing — $9,101/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 7.4 years. Federal data pools 35 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 606 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $69,851 |
| 2 | Auburn University | AL | $62,697 |
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $61,788 |
| 4 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $59,873 |
| 5 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | $59,090 |
| 6 | Montana State University | MT | $57,668 |
| 7 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $56,561 |
| 8 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | $55,647 |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $55,571 |
| 10 | Florida Atlantic University | FL | $53,961 |
| 11 | Utah State University | UT | $50,685 |
| 12 | University at Buffalo | NY | $49,920 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.