2027 Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools
[Environmental Design & Architecture](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/environmental-design/environmental-design-and-architecture/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong environmental design & architecture education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental design & architecture students.
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Finding the Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture School for You
The right environmental design & architecture school can pay off for years to come. To help, we created our Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
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We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
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2027 Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the environmental design & architecture degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools
For return on investment in environmental design & architecture, no school beat University Of California Berkeley this year. University Of California Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,377, while out-of-state students pay about $47,265. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans. Soon after graduation, environmental design & architecture degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. Set against $14,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in environmental design & architecture will find it at Florida Atlantic University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,879, compared with $17,324 for out-of-state students. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $16,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, environmental design & architecture degree recipients from Florida Atlantic University generally make around $49,340. Set against $16,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 66%.
University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value environmental design & architecture schools. Located in the city of San Juan, University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,324. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras earn a median of $24,881 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $5,500 median debt. University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras admits about 55% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in environmental design & architecture will find it at University Of Memphis, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $26,315 in student loans. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $48,890. Set against $26,315 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Memphis admits about 72% of applicants.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value environmental design & architecture schools. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Students borrow a median of $25,759 to complete the environmental design & architecture program here. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $59,622 early in their careers. Set against $25,759 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Arizona State University landed the #6 spot for environmental design & architecture value this year. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the environmental design & architecture program here. Soon after graduation, environmental design & architecture degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $37,226. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned the #7 position for value in environmental design & architecture this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,140, with out-of-state students paying around $33,060. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $19,738. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $49,983. That is a strong return on a $19,738 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
North Dakota State University Main Campus came in at #8 for value in environmental design & architecture this year. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,910, compared with $15,564 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $25,153. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of North Dakota State University Main Campus earn a median of $54,076 early in their careers. Set against $25,153 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Dakota State University Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Hawaii At Manoa ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value environmental design & architecture schools. Located in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,186, while out-of-state students pay about $34,218. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $22,047. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $37,849. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Stony Brook University landed the #10 spot for environmental design & architecture value this year. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,931, with out-of-state students paying around $32,741. Students borrow a median of $20,537 to complete the environmental design & architecture program here. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $60,047. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 49%.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value environmental design & architecture schools. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $20,031. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $64,891 early in their careers. Set against $20,031 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
University At Buffalo placed #12 among the best values for environmental design & architecture. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, compared with $31,536 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $19,669. Soon after graduation, environmental design & architecture degree recipients from University At Buffalo generally make around $37,952. Set against $19,669 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Oregon landed the #13 spot for environmental design & architecture value this year. University Of Oregon is a very large public school located in the city of Eugene. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,320, with out-of-state students paying around $42,516. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $22,034. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $44,628. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Oregon admits about 88% of applicants.
Auburn University landed the #14 spot for environmental design & architecture value this year. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, compared with $34,922 for out-of-state students. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $25,375 in student loans. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $44,929. Set against $25,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus placed #15 among the best values for environmental design & architecture. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Bowling Green. In-state tuition and fees average $13,912, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. Typical student debt for environmental design & architecture graduates is $27,000. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn a median of $43,843 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 81%.
University Of Colorado Boulder landed the #16 spot for environmental design & architecture value this year. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. In-state tuition and fees average $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $23,641 in student loans. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of $42,401 early in their careers. Set against $23,641 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Colorado Boulder admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
