Landscape Architecture at North Dakota State University-Main Campus

A debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5 typically signals manageable educational investment, and based on national benchmarks for landscape architecture bachelor's programs, this program appears to follow that pattern. With estimated first-year earnings around $52,800 against roughly $25,700 in debt, graduates would be looking at a debt burden equal to about half their starting salary—a threshold many financial advisors consider reasonable for career-focused degrees.

The challenge here is that North Dakota State is the only school in the state offering this credential, leaving little local comparison for context. The national data suggests landscape architecture produces fairly consistent outcomes across programs, with the 75th percentile earnings only about $2,000 higher than the median. This narrow range implies the field has relatively standardized entry-level compensation regardless of where you study, which could work in this program's favor since similar programs nationwide produce comparable results.

For parents evaluating this investment, the estimated figures suggest a viable path if your child is genuinely committed to landscape architecture as a career. The debt load appears manageable relative to likely earnings, but remember these are projections based on peer programs rather than this school's actual track record. Given the school's 96% admission rate and this program's specialized nature, the real determining factors will be your child's portfolio development and internship opportunities during their studies—aspects no earnings data can capture.