2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in the Southeast Region
[Environmental Design](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/environmental-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. 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 11 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental design students.
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2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the environmental design degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Environmental Design Schools
For return on investment in environmental design, no school beat Florida Atlantic University this year. 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 graduates carry a median of $16,250 in student loans. Environmental Design graduates of Florida Atlantic University earn a median of $49,340 early in their careers. Set against $16,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 66%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Memphis one of the best values for environmental design. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Students borrow a median of $26,315 to complete the environmental design program here. Environmental Design graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $48,890 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in environmental design will find it at North Carolina State University At Raleigh, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Students borrow a median of $25,759 to complete the environmental design program here. Soon after graduation, environmental design degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $59,622. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in environmental design will find it at Auburn University, which ranked #4. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. Students from in state pay about $12,890 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Typical student debt for environmental design graduates is $25,375. Early-career environmental design graduates make about $44,929. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
