by our College Data Analytics Team
[Environmental Design](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/environmental-design/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the early-career earnings of their environmental design graduates.
What’s on this page:
The environmental design program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Environmental Design Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its environmental design graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Learn more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Environmental Design Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
Below are the schools whose environmental design graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying environmental design schools in the United States. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. Environmental Design graduates of University Of New Mexico Main Campus earn a median of about $60,529 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Colorado Boulder earned it the #2 place for environmental design. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. Environmental Design graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of about $68,017 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Bowling Green State University Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for environmental design. Set in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a public institution. Environmental Design graduates of Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn a median of about $58,480 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Hawaii At Manoa one of the highest-paying schools for environmental design. Located in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a public institution. Early-career environmental design graduates from University Of Hawaii At Manoa make a median of around $65,559 per year.
University At Buffalo produces some of the highest-paid graduates in environmental design, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a public institution. Students who complete the environmental design program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,289.
Auburn University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for environmental design. Auburn University is a public school located in the city of Auburn. Early-career environmental design graduates from Auburn University make a median of around $44,929 per year.
Arizona State University came in at #7 for environmental design graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. After graduating, environmental design degree recipients from Arizona State University typically earn about $37,226 annually.
University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras landed the #8 spot for environmental design salaries this year. Located in the city of San Juan, University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras is a public institution. Students who complete the environmental design program here go on to a median salary of roughly $25,398.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their environmental design graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.