Landscape Architecture

Types of Degrees Landscape Architecture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many landscape architecture graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	281
Graduate Certificate	4

What Landscape Architecture Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, landscape majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Landscape Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in landscape should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Landscape Majors

A major in landscape prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Landscape Majors

As a landscape major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Landscape Architecture Major?

People with a landscape degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980
Landscape Architects	6.5%	$68,230

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture?

This major is dominated by women with about 57% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of landscape majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	9
Black or African American	12
Hispanic or Latino	31
White	143
International Students	73
Other Races/Ethnicities	13

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Landscape. About 26.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• India
• Taiwan
• Canada

How Much Do Landscape Architecture Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of landscape architecture students with a master’s degree is $56,151 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $51,403 (25th percentile) and $59,867 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to landscape so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Landscape majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $73,160 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Landscape Architecture

Some careers associated with landscape require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for landscape careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Some College Courses	1.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	55.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	5.7%
Master’s Degree	18.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	6.8%
Doctoral Degree	10.0%

Online Landscape Architecture Programs

In 2020-2021, 75 schools offered a landscape program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	5	1
Bachelor’s Degree	5	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	46	1
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Landscape Architecture Worth It?

The median salary for a landscape grad is $99,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 149% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,188,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Landscape Architecture

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to landscape.

Major	Number of Grads
Architectural Sciences & Technology	3,366
Urban & Regional Planning	1,613
General Architecture	1,096
Real Estate Development	223
Interior Architecture	169
Environmental Design	114
Architectural History	45
Architecture (Other)	33

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By La Citta Vita under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.