Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers' landscape architecture program sits in an unusual position: it's the only Bachelor's-level landscape architecture program in New Jersey, which means comparing it to state peers is impossible. What we can say is that graduates earn roughly $44,000 in their first year—about $8,400 below the national median for this field—placing them in just the 12th percentile nationally. That's a significant gap.

The $27,000 median debt is reasonable and slightly above the national average, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. In practical terms, graduates should be able to manage their loans, but they're starting their careers at a clear earnings disadvantage compared to landscape architecture graduates elsewhere. This could reflect New Jersey's market dynamics, the program's focus areas, or where graduates end up working.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so any individual student's outcome could differ substantially. If your child is committed to landscape architecture and wants to stay in New Jersey, this is your only in-state option at the Bachelor's level. However, if they're geographically flexible, exploring programs at schools where graduates earn closer to the $52,800 national median would likely provide better early-career returns on a similar debt investment.