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2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in New York

[Environmental Design](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/environmental-design/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong environmental design education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental design students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Environmental Design Schools in New York

2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in New York

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in environmental design, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Environmental Design Schools

1

Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY

$10,931 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,537 Avg Student Debt

$74,502 Median Earnings (10yr)

Stony Brook University tops our 2026 list of the best value environmental design schools in New York. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,931 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,741. Environmental Design graduates carry a median of $20,537 in student loans. Environmental Design graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $60,047 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 49% of applicants are accepted.

2

University At Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

$10,936 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,669 Avg Student Debt

$70,814 Median Earnings (10yr)

University At Buffalo is a great value for students pursuing a degree in environmental design, landing the #2 spot this year. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Students borrow a median of $19,669 to complete the environmental design program here. Early-career environmental design graduates make about $37,952. That is a strong return on a $19,669 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.

View All Environmental Design Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.