History & Mission
- Founded: 1972
- Corporate status: Private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
- Mission: To explore, develop, practice, and teach design of the land that is ecologically and socially sustainable.
Read more about our mission and story here.
Campus & Location
- Address: 88 Village Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060
- Neighborhood: Village Hill, a 126-acre, master-planned, mixed-use development
- Watershed: Mill River
- Elevation above sea level: 328 feet
- Latitude: 42.3137772
- Longitude: -72.6486422
- # volumes in Conway’s library: 5,033
- Size of campus: 0.53 acres
- Square feet of school building: 4,500
Program
Degree offered: Master of Science in Ecological Design
Duration of program: 10 months
Accreditation: The Conway School of Landscape Design is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.). Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 425 7785
info@neche.org
Student/faculty ratio: 6:1
# of guest speakers: 29 (2024)
% of guest speakers who identify as people of color: 30% (fall 2020-spring 2026)
# of ecology field trips and group site visits each year: Over 20
Services and programs for servicemembers and veterans: Yellow Ribbon Program
# student projects since 1973: 1,469 robust design and planning projects for communities and individual clients (664 for community clients and 806 site design projects, as of December 2025)
Students
# of students: 18 maximum
% of students who are full-time: 100%
Graduation rate: 98% (average rate, 2015-2025)
Median age of students at time of application: 32.2 (Classes of 2020-2025)
Geographic breakdown (Classes of 2023-2026):
- 96% United States
- 70% Northeast
- 11% Mid-Atlantic/South
- 7% Midwest
- 7% West
- 4% International (Canada, India, Mexico)
Academic backgrounds (Classes of 2023-2026):
- 33% Science/Environmental Studies
- 16% Graphic Art/Design
- 51% Other (Accounting, American Studies, Anthropology, Architecture, Business, Chemistry, Communications, Economics, English, History, Horticulture, International Relations, Labor, Land Design, Liberal Studies, Math, Music, Planning, Psychology, Sociology, Theater)
Professional backgrounds (Classes of 2023-2026):
- 26% Gardening/Horticulture
- 16% Nonprofit
- 12% Education
- 12% Landscape Design/Design Build
- 9% Agriculture/Food Systems
- 4% Advertising/Marketing
- 4% Architecture/Green Building
- 4% Technology
- 13% Other (Ecological Restoration, Government, Graphic Design, Music, Planning, Psychology)
Sex: 53% female (Class of 2025)
Students of Color: 18% (Class of 2025)
Outcomes
All graduates since 1973: 826
Graduation rate, 2016-2025: 98%
# of states Conway alums work in: 42
# of countries Conway alums work in: 13 (Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, India, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom)
Fields of employment of recent graduates (based on a survey of alums who graduated between 2008-2023):
- Landscape design
- landscape design/build
- landscape architecture
- ecological restoration
- municipal or regional planning
- stormwater management
- agriculture/food systems
- gardening/horticulture
- permaculture
% of graduates employed in the field within 1 year: 82% (2025)
% of graduates of graduates working in climate resilience or environmental planning: 41% (2025)
Read more about our Alums here.
Read more about Learning Outcomes here.
Applicants
Application fee: $0
% of applicants admitted: 87% (2015-2025)
Financial Aid
% of students who receive institutional aid: 87% (2021-2024)
% of tuition covered by need-based institutional grants: Up to 20%
% of students who borrow loans: 65% (2021-2024)