ROI Major

Landscape Architecture at University of Oregon

OR · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 04.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Landscape Architecture degree from University of Oregon earn a median salary of $65,767 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,539. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.4 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$46,066

Typical Career

$65,767

Top Performers

$80,360

Estimated break-even: 7.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$438

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,481. Most students can comfortably afford about a $438 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 17.1%
Educational Services 15.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$57,539

Nominal: $65,767 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

7.4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $34,107 $47,516 $58,218
5 Years After Graduation $46,066 $65,767 $80,360
10 Years After Graduation $46,967 $67,967 $91,143

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $65,767 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $65,767 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $57,539 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon can expect a steady earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $47,516 one year after graduation, increasing to $65,767 after five years, and reaching $67,967 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $57,538.93, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than some fields, the long-term financial outlook remains positive, particularly when considering the cost of living in Oregon.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (17.1%), Educational Services (15.1%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 7.4 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Landscape Architecture appears favorable. This suggests that while the initial financial rewards may take time to fully materialize, the degree can lead to stable and potentially lucrative career opportunities in various sectors.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Landscape Architecture degree at University of Oregon stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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