Landscape Architecture at University of Maryland-College Park

A flagship public university with a 45% admission rate and strong academics, Maryland-College Park charges an estimated $25,735 in debt for this bachelor's degree—a figure drawn from similar programs at comparable institutions. Based on the national median for landscape architecture programs, graduates typically start around $52,841, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio just under 0.5. That means the debt load equals roughly half a year's salary, which is manageable if employment materializes quickly.

The challenge is that Maryland is the only school in the state offering this degree, leaving no local comparison points, and both the earnings and debt figures here are estimates rather than actual outcomes from Maryland graduates. Landscape architecture can be a specialized field with variable hiring patterns depending on regional development activity and licensing requirements. The estimated starting salary aligns with the national median, but without school-specific data, it's unclear whether Maryland's particular program—or its location near Washington D.C. and Baltimore—produces better or worse outcomes than the national baseline suggests.

The debt burden appears reasonable on paper, but you're making this decision with limited visibility into what Maryland's specific graduates actually earn and owe. If your child is committed to landscape architecture, this program at a respected state flagship could work out fine. Just recognize you're betting on estimated outcomes rather than proven track record.