2026 Best Environmental Design Schools in California

Environmental Design degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their environmental design programs.

College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best environmental design schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Environmental Design Schools in California

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Featured Environmental Design Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

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Best Schools for Environmental Design in California

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the environmental design degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Environmental Design

1

University Of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

25 Environmental Design Degrees Awarded

$70,847 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of California Berkeley, our #1 school for environmental design. This very large public university is located in the city of Berkeley. University Of California Berkeley graduates 93% of students within six years. University Of California Berkeley awarded about 25 environmental design degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, environmental design degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. Typical student debt for the program is $14,238. Read more about the environmental design program at University Of California Berkeley

2

Otis College Of Art And Design
Los Angeles, CA

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

10 Environmental Design Degrees Awarded

$21,440 Median Starting Salary

Otis College Of Art And Design is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in environmental design, ranking #2. Otis College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. About 66% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 environmental design students who graduated with this degree at Otis College Of Art And Design in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, environmental design degree recipients from Otis College Of Art And Design generally make around $21,440. Students borrow a median of $28,292 to complete this degree. Get the full environmental design details for Otis College Of Art And Design

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.

• 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.