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2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in California

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

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for environmental design students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Environmental Design Schools in California

2026 Best Value Environmental Design Schools in California

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

Best Value Environmental Design Schools

1

University Of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

$15,377 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,238 Avg Student Debt

$92,446 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in environmental design, no school beat University Of California Berkeley this year. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,377, with out-of-state students paying around $47,265. Typical student debt for environmental design graduates is $14,238. Soon after graduation, environmental design degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. That is a strong return on a $14,238 median debt. 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, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Otis College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,488. Environmental Design graduates carry a median of $28,292 in student loans. Soon after graduation, environmental design degree recipients from Otis College Of Art And Design generally make around $21,440. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.

View All Environmental Design Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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.