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Landscape Architecture

Types of Degrees Landscape Architecture Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Landscape Architecture have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	24
Associate’s Degree	18
Bachelor’s Degree	662
Master’s Degree	346

What Landscape Architecture Majors Need to Know

Studies in Landscape Architecture emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Landscape Architecture graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Landscape Architecture emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Landscape Architecture program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Landscape Architecture careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Landscape Architecture graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Landscape Architecture professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Landscape Architecture graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Faculty Member
• Architectural Drafting Instructor
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Architecture Faculty Member
• Professor
• Architecture Professor
• Interior Design Professor
• Architecture Instructor
• Landscape Architecture Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.7%
Master’s degree	18.2%
Doctoral degree	16.6%
First professional degree	9.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Postsecondary certificate	1.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Landscape Architecture?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.9% women and 41.1% men among Landscape Architecture graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	618	58.9%
Men	432	41.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Landscape Architecture graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	580	55.2%
Asian	69	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	175	16.7%
Black or African American	27	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	52	5.0%
Race Unknown	25	2.4%
International Students	118	11.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Landscape Architecture Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Landscape Architecture graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$52,824
4 years	$61,820
5 years	$67,981

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $67,981 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Landscape Architecture Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Landscape Architecture. 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
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	1
Master’s	1	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 Landscape Architecture Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Landscape Architecture graduates earn a median of $61,820 four years after completion — roughly 63% 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	CIP Code
Architecture and Related Services	04
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	04.08
Architectural Sciences and Technology	04.09
Architecture and Related Services, Other	04.99
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES	04.00
Architecture	04.02
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.03
Environmental Design	04.04
Interior Architecture	04.05
Real Estate Development	04.10

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.