Landscaping and Groundskeeping
Program Summary
A program that prepares individuals to manage and maintain indoor and/or outdoor ornamental and recreational plants and groundcovers and related conceptual designs established by landscape architects, interior designers, enterprise owners or managers, and individual clients. Includes instruction in applicable principles of horticulture, gardening, plant and soil irrigation and nutrition, turf maintenance, plant maintenance, equipment operation and maintenance, personnel supervision, and purchasing.
Discover More About a Degree in Landscaping and Groundskeeping

What is Landscaping and Groundskeeping?
Landscpaing and groundskeeping is the area of employment responsible for the establishment and maintenance of decorative plants and greens both indoors and outdoors. Individuals in this field are tasked with providing care in a variety of forms to the wide variety of flora that may be found in a given area, such as office buildings, schools, apartment buildings and more. Individuals in this field may be tasked with maintaining the environment intentionally designed by landscape architects, interior designers, or others as part of their outlined duties.
Educational Requirements
An education in landscaping and groundskeeping is not required to enter the industry, though it can greatly enhance an individual's ability for promotion or self employment. Individuals studying this field typically pursue an associate or bachelor's degree. Individuals will receive a practical education that allows students to develop skills necessary for the maintenance of large area as well as the knowledge to identify and care for a large variety of vegetation. Individuals will be exposed to indoor and outdoor plant growth, irrigation methodologies, identifying plant disease and more.
A curriculum in landscaping and groundskeeping may include:
- Plant Growth and Health
- Soil Management
- Irrigation Technology
- Design and Maintenance
- Pesticides and Chemicals
Employment Opportunities
Individuals willing to work outdoors in a labor intensive atmosphere will enjoy the atmosphere provided by landscaping and groundskeeping. Individuals should also be self motivated as most of the time there is little supervision to go along with a high demand for quality work. Individuals should also be fit and capable of conducting the required tasks, such as mowing, pulling, trimming, watering, fertilizing and more over long periods of time. Individuals will typically start by working on a crew for a firm that or employer, if proven qualified and capable promotion to crew leader, supervisor, manager and more is possible. As noted above, individuals with an education typically demonstrate higher success in achieving upward mobility.
Types of work include:
- Landscaping – Responsible for maintenance of design
- Groundskeeping - Responsible for the appearance of a location and health of plants, and may include sports fields
- Greenskeeping – Maintains golf courses
- Pesticide Specialists – Responsible for the proper use and application of pesticides
- Arborists – Responsible for the trimming and pruning of trees and shrubs
Job Growth, Salary, and Related Fields
Overall Job growth is expected to increase over the next decade as demand for lawn care increases across the board. This is due to multiple factors, including an aging population that requires assistance, growth among businesses, and the need for specialists as new technologies are introduced. Additionally, the high turnover rate at starting positions in the industry means finding employment should prove to be easy. The average salary of all professions within this industry is approximately $34,000 per year, though this can vary wildly based on position and specialization.
Individuals interested in landscaping and groundskeeping may also be interested in greenhouse operations and management, horticulture and turf and turfgrass management.
Top Schools That Offer a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Degree or Program
4-Year Colleges and Universities
| Bob Jones University | |
- Greenville, SC
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| Brigham Young University | |
- Provo, UT
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| Brigham Young University - Idaho | |
- Rexburg, ID
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| College of Central Florida | |
- Ocala, FL
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| College of Southern Nevada | |
- Las Vegas, NV
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| Delaware Valley College | |
- Doylestown, PA
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| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | |
- Tallahassee, FL
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| Florida Southern College | |
- Lakeland, FL
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| Indian River State College | |
- Fort Pierce, FL
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| Miami Dade College | |
- Miami, FL
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| Michigan State University | |
- East Lansing, MI
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| Mississippi State University | |
- Mississippi State, MS
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| Mount Marty College | |
- Yankton, SD
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| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | |
- Raleigh, NC
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| Oklahoma State University | |
- Stillwater, OK
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| Palm Beach State College | |
- Lake Worth, FL
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| Peninsula College | |
- Port Angeles, WA
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| Pennsylvania College of Technology | |
- Williamsport, PA
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| Pennsylvania State University | |
- University Park, PA
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| Pensacola State College | |
- Pensacola, FL
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| Seattle Community College - South Campus | |
- Seattle, WA
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| South Dakota State University | |
- Brookings, SD
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| Suny College of Technology at Delhi | |
- Delhi, NY
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| Temple University | |
- Philadelphia, PA
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| Unity College | |
- Unity, ME
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| University of Delaware | |
- Newark, DE
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| University of Georgia | |
- Athens, GA
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| University of Massachusetts Amherst | |
- Amherst, MA
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| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | |
- Lincoln, NE
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| Valencia College | |
- Orlando, FL
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| Washington State University | |
- Pullman, WA
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Community Colleges
| Albany Technical College | |
- Albany, GA
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| American River College | |
- Sacramento, CA
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| Blackhawk Technical College | |
- Janesville, WI
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| Cabrillo College | |
- Aptos, CA
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| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | |
- Hudson, NC
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| Cape Fear Community College | |
- Wilmington, NC
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| Central Lakes College - Brainerd | |
- Brainerd, MN
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| Chattahoochee Technical College | |
- Marietta, GA
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| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College | |
- Cincinnati, OH
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| City College of San Francisco | |
- San Francisco, CA
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| College of Lake County | |
- Grayslake, IL
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| College of San Mateo | |
- San Mateo, CA
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| Cuyamaca College | |
- El Cajon, CA
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| Dakota County Technical College | |
- Rosemount, MN
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| Diablo Valley College | |
- Pleasant Hill, CA
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| Edmonds Community College | |
- Lynnwood, WA
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| Florida Gateway College | |
- Lake City, FL
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| Fullerton College | |
- Fullerton, CA
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| Gwinnett Technical College | |
- Lawrenceville, GA
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| Hennepin Technical College | |
- Brooklyn Park, MN
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| Hinds Community College | |
- Raymond, MS
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| Iowa Western Community College | |
- Council Bluffs, IA
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| Kishwaukee College | |
- Malta, IL
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| Lanier Technical College | |
- Oakwood, GA
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| Merritt College | |
- Oakland, CA
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| Milwaukee Area Technical College | |
- Milwaukee, WI
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| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | |
- Fergus Falls, MN
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| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | |
- Perkinston, MS
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| Moraine Park Technical College | |
- Fond du Lac, WI
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| Moultrie Technical College | |
- Moultrie, GA
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| Mt San Antonio College | |
- Walnut, CA
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| Nashville State Technical Community College | |
- Nashville, TN
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| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | |
- Green Bay, WI
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| Northwest Technical College | |
- Bemidji, MN
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| Oakland Community College | |
- Bloomfield Hills, MI
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| Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute | |
- Wooster, OH
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| Okefenokee Technical College | |
- Waycross, GA
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| Owens Community College | |
- Perrysburg, OH
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| Palo Alto College | |
- San Antonio, TX
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| Portland Community College | |
- Portland, OR
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| Saddleback College | |
- Mission Viejo, CA
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| Sandhills Community College | |
- Pinehurst, NC
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| Santa Rosa Junior College | |
- Santa Rosa, CA
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| South Georgia Technical College | |
- Americus, GA
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| Southeast Technical Institute | |
- Sioux Falls, SD
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| Southern Crescent Technical College | |
- Griffin, GA
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| Southwestern College | |
- Chula Vista, CA
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| Springfield Technical Community College | |
- Springfield, MA
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| Western Technical College | |
- La Crosse, WI
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| Western Texas College | |
- Snyder, TX
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Career Colleges
| First Coast Technical College | |
- Saint Augustine, FL
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| George Stone Career Center | |
- Pensacola, FL
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| Kiamichi Technology Center - Mcalester | |
- McAlester, OK
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| Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center | |
- Los Angeles, CA
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| Michigan Career and Technical Institute | |
- Plainwell, MI
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| Monongalia County Technical Education Center | |
- Morgantown, WV
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