Accreditation: Penn State Landscape Architecture Programs

NOTE: Race/ethnicity percentages only reflect domestic students.

Updated March 2023.

Degrees Awarded

The B.L.A. and M.L.A. programs at Penn State have awarded the following number of degrees over the past five years.

Updated December 2023.

Graduation Statistics

B.L.A.

• 63% – Private LARCH Employment
• 14% – Higher Education (study)
• 3% – Not employed in LARCH
• 1% – Government Practice
• 19% – Unknown

M.L.A.

• 24% – Private LARCH Employment
• 24% – Higher Education (study or employed)
• 14% – Horticulture Design and Build
• 14% – Not employed in LARCH
• 24% – Unknown

Undergraduate

Estimated cost of full-time attendance for one year.

Basic cost of undergraduate attendance figures are based on the Penn State Tuition and College Cost Estimator. Updated March 2023.

Supplies
All incoming B.L.A students are asked to purchase a “Starter Kit” of tools and supplies that costs $150—$185. All tools in this kit are one-time purchases while some supplies (paper, pencils, etc.) must be periodically replenished. The typical cost of additional supplies over a student’s entire academic career is about $300.

Printing
Students pay for printing both small and large sheets needed for coursework. The Department of Landscape Architecture requires fewer and fewer printed documents for submissions as it is transitioning to digital documentation of work; but students typically spend about $300 on printing over their entire academic career.

Note: Courses in the Department of Landscape Architecture require very few textbooks; the cost of supplies and printing are in lieu of typical college textbook costs.

Required Semester Abroad
B.L.A. students are required to study abroad for one semester abroad. Tuition remains the same. Students are responsible for room, meal, and travel expenses.

Financial Support Opportunities

The Landscape Architecture Department awards approximately $120,000 in scholarships to our undergraduate students each year.

Graduate

Basic cost of graduate attendance figures are based on the Penn State Tuition and College Cost Estimator. Updated March 2023.

Note: Most M.L.A. students receive some financial support. Students receiving a graduate assistantship (tuition waiver and stipend, with a teaching or research expectation) and are charged tuition at a lower rate ($20,780 as opposed to $24,956 in-state and $43,266 out-of-state). This permits the Department of Landscape Architecture to provide four semesters of full funding as teaching or research assistantships for most M.L.A. students, based upon their skills, interests, assistantship performance, and academic progress. Graduate students can additionally be hired on wages for work that is neither teaching nor research. This latter type of funding is opportunistic, as budget and projects allow.

Supplies
All incoming M.L.A. students are asked to purchase a “Starter Kit” of tools and supplies that costs $150—$185. All tools in this kit are one-time purchases while some supplies (paper, pencils, etc.) must be periodically replenished. Typical cost of additional supplies over students’ entire academic career is about $300.

Printing
Students pay for printing both small and large sheets needed for coursework. The Department of Landscape Architecture requires fewer and fewer printed documents for submissions as we are transitioning to digital documentation of work; but students typically spend about $300 on printing over their entire academic career.

Note: Courses in the Department of Landscape Architecture require very few textbooks; the cost of supplies and printing are in lieu of typical college textbook costs.

Faculty Composition

• 20 – Full-time Resident Faculty
• 5 – Licensed Faculty

Studio faculty:student ratio

• B.L.A – 1:15 max.
• M.L.A. – 1:7 min.

Complete faculty listing