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2026 Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools in California

[Environmental Design & Architecture](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/environmental-design/environmental-design-and-architecture/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

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

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools in California

2026 Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools in California

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the environmental design & architecture degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Environmental Design & Architecture Schools

1

University Of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

$15,377 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,238 Avg Student Debt

$92,446 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of California Berkeley earned the #1 spot for value among environmental design & architecture schools in California. University Of California Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, with out-of-state students paying around $47,265. Environmental Design & Architecture graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $70,847. Set against $14,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.

2

Otis College Of Art And Design
Los Angeles, CA

$56,488 In-State Tuition & Fees

$28,292 Avg Student Debt

$58,152 Median Earnings (10yr)

Otis College Of Art And Design is a great value for students pursuing a degree in environmental design & architecture, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Los Angeles, Otis College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,488. Students borrow a median of $28,292 to complete the environmental design & architecture program here. Early-career environmental design & architecture graduates make about $21,440. Set against $28,292 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Otis College Of Art And Design admits about 82% of applicants.

View All Environmental Design & Architecture Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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.