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Environmental Design

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 04.0401 - 04.0499.

Types of Degrees Environmental Design Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Environmental Design may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	4
Bachelor’s Degree	550
Master’s Degree	121
Doctor’s Degree	39

What Environmental Design Majors Need to Know

Programs in Environmental Design build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Environmental Design graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Environmental Design emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Environmental Design program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Environmental Design careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Environmental Design graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Environmental Design professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Trimble SketchUp Pro	Computer aided design CAD software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Environmental Design graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Landscape Architecture Professor
• Architecture Faculty Member
• Interior Design Professor
• Interior Design Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Architectural Design Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Architecture Instructor
• Landscape Architecture Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Environmental Design graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.6%
Doctoral degree	21.4%
Master’s degree	17.3%
First professional degree	13.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.9%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%
Some college courses	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Environmental Design?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.3% women and 42.7% men among Environmental Design graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	409	57.3%
Men	305	42.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Environmental Design graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	342	47.9%
Asian	64	9.0%
Hispanic or Latino	138	19.3%
Black or African American	31	4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	33	4.6%
Race Unknown	21	2.9%
International Students	78	10.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Environmental Design Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Environmental Design graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$40,905
4 years	$52,970
5 years	$59,648

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,648 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Environmental Design Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Environmental Design. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Environmental Design Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Environmental Design graduates earn a median of $52,970 four years after completion — roughly 39% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Architecture and Related Services	20,162
Architectural Sciences and Technology	9,814
Architecture	4,594
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	2,362
Landscape Architecture	1,050
Interior Architecture	756
Real Estate Development	555
Architecture and Related Services, Other	166
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	151
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.