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Sustainable communities designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sustainable communities designer. Sustainable communities designers usually study graphic design, design and visual communication, or fine arts. 67% of sustainable communities designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 247 real sustainable communities designer resumes to see exactly what sustainable communities designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for sustainable communities designers are the The New School and the The New School.

There are also many online sustainable communities designer courses to help get the education required to be a sustainable communities designer.

What education do you need to become a sustainable communities designer?

What degree do you need to be a sustainable communities designer?

The most common degree for sustainable communities designers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of sustainable communities designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a sustainable communities designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a sustainable communities designer. 35% of sustainable communities designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a sustainable communities designer include design and visual communication and fine arts.

Most common colleges for sustainable communities designers

Sustainable communities designers often get their degrees at The New School, Pratt Institute, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. Here are the most common colleges for sustainable communities designers in the US based on their resumes.
Sustainable communities designer common collegePercentages
The New School6.67%
Pratt Institute6.67%
Metropolitan State University of Denver6.67%
San Diego State University6.67%
Portland State University6.67%

Best majors for sustainable communities designers

Best colleges for sustainable communities designers

The best colleges for sustainable communities designers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A sustainable communities designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sustainable communities designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become sustainable communities designers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for sustainable communities designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sustainable communities designers

The most affordable schools for sustainable communities designers are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for sustainable communities designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sustainable communities designers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sustainable communities designers

The hardest universities for sustainable communities designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for sustainable communities designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sustainable communities designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sustainable communities designers

The easiest schools for sustainable communities designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sustainable communities designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sustainable communities designers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

10. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

Average sustainable communities designer salary by education level

According to our data, sustainable communities designers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $83,257 annually. Sustainable communities designers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,761.
Sustainable communities designer education levelSustainable communities designer salary
Master's Degree$83,257
Bachelor's Degree$74,761
Some College/ Associate Degree$65,440

Sustainable communities designer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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