### SUMMARY

 Majoring in Urban Planning is not only a valuable choice, but naturally a mandatory first step for pupils wishing to enter a career as a landscape architect, an urban community planner, or a landscape gardener. In fact, urban planning is a very rare degree coming in at the 229th most popular major. Last academic year, there were 847 urban planning graduates. In-state tuition for urban planning at private colleges is, on average, 4.9 times more pricey than their public equivalents.

 With just 48 colleges offering this degree you may have a smaller selection of institutions which will have a degree program for you. If you are hoping to surround yourself with other urban planning undergrads, consider looking at institutions in Arizona which have the most undergraduates admitted to urban planning annually. less precisely, the top region to study urban planning is in the Southwest region with [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe), [University of Arizona](/colleges/university-of-arizona), and [Arizona State University-Skysong](/colleges/arizona-state-university-skysong) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection for the top conference to major in urban planning is the Pacific-12 Conference with [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe), [University of Arizona](/colleges/university-of-arizona), and [Arizona State University-Skysong](/colleges/arizona-state-university-skysong) representing the conference. From our list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our selection for the best school for urban planning is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology).

 The objectively 'best' school does not mean it is the 'best' school for you. There might be a bunch of angels to weigh when selecting institution. Features like campus amenities, transportation services, and food could sway one's decision of which school to attend. Here at authority.org, we have weighed the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you want to know which urban planning school boasts the top campus, the winner is [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick). If you are very interested in which school is home to the top campus, we have an entire list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, student reviews, professor reviews, and more in order to compare all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. You can explore our well researched list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and our choice of the school with the best student life for urban planning is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university). Curious why? Continue scrolling to discover more about our top selections. Many of our conclusions will probably shock you.

 If expense is a primary deciding factor in your choice of where you attend college, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspappears to be the most expensive university for urban planning, at least regarding out of state students. We do have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that could put the cost at [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you could want to know that urban planning is the 267th most expensive program in the US, with an average cost of $26,100. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for urban planning in the country is New York with costs at the main college, Cornell University, of $56,550. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region of the U.S. for urban planning is the Mid East region which is best demonstrated with [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) with a cost of $29,012, [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university) with a cost of $56,550, and [Haverford College](/colleges/haverford-college) with a cost of $56,200.

 Our cheapest region for urban planning is the Plains region which is represented by [Iowa State University](/colleges/iowa-state-university) with a cost of $23,230, [University of Missouri-Kansas City](/colleges/university-of-missouri-kansas-city) with a cost of $24,729, and [Missouri State University-Springfield](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield) with a cost of $14,850. On the bright side, the most affordable school for urban planning is [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university). Authority.org's comprehensive list of the most affordable universities can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state learners can anticipate paying in the neighborhood of $11,600 for a degree in urban planning. That cost inflates by a lot to a median of $27,800 for the out-of-state public-school undergrad. On that note, our selection for the school constituting the best value for urban planning: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). On this page you will see our comprehensive list for the schools we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this discussion is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when in-state tuition is considered, as such, we are using out-of-state tuition as the baseline.

 Earnings for urban planning students can cover a wide range, but within two-years of leaving college students will often earn around $56,300. There is a lot of variation in earnings potential; highest paid earners can rake in up to $94,900. Right out of college, the lowest end jobs within the urban planning space make $33,100, which is an alright wage. The top earning grads from urban planning have come from [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand if you want to find the universities with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The all-around diversity of urban planning is high, coming within the 88th percentile of all majors. The school with the highest composite diversity for urban planning is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list of the schools which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Urban Planning major ranks only within the 74th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is actually greater, ranking in the 88th percentile. White undergraduates make up the largest share at 49% of scholars majoring in urban planning. Additionally, 56% of undergrads seeking an urban planning major are men.

 The median ranking of urban planning professors is 4 stars, a rating which is right on the average for all majors; which is a fine. If you want to find the most popular urban planning instructor nationally, take a look at Joochul Kim at [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe). It may come as a surprise, but the highest rated instructors for urban planning by student come from [University of Nevada-Reno](/colleges/university-of-nevada-reno). As we consider data beyond just rankings it becomes clear that the school with comprehensively the best professors for urban planning is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). One will find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as some of the finest examples of professors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult university to get into for urban planning is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). While we do not necessarily see the value in it, we do have a comprehensive page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). With that said, here at Authority we do hope you believe that approaching university from context primarily informed by superlatives could cause issues. We encourage you to explore our other pages on different colleges and read a couple of our helpful background articles on beneficial things to look out for as you continue your school search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Urban planning is the 229th most popular degree in America, with 847 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #230 [Religious Education](/rankings/best-colleges-for-religious-education), and narrowly lost to #228 [Preschool Education and Teaching](/rankings/best-colleges-for-preschool-education-and-teaching).

 The degree is offered at a total of 48 colleges across the nation, and is the 282nd most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 8% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 83% of colleges offering urban planning are public making it a very accessible field.

 The southwest produces the most urban planning graduates, largely led by [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe), while it’s the Pacific-12 Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Arizona ranks highest, with particular help from [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe) and [University of Arizona](/colleges/university-of-arizona).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more urban planning graduates than [Auburn University](/colleges/auburn-university), which graduated 96 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study urban planning). More students studied urban planning as a percentage of total students at [Haverford College](/colleges/haverford-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Urban planning is the 267th most expensive degree in America, with a median cost of $26,138 amongst the top 50 programs.

 The Mid East has the most expensive schools with top-notch urban planning programs predominantly led by [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) with an annual cost of $29,012. New York is the most expensive state for urban planning led by [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university).

 Public schools with solid programs generally charge 79.55% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 50.77% less than your average private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive option in the top 25 is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in America. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Westfield State University](/colleges/westfield-state-university). It costs just $7,050 per year, and it's its urban planning program is ranked #28. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable school, [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university)  might be for you, ranked #17 with an in-state cost of just $2,522. Another more affordable option would be #10, [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo) in San Luis Obispo County, CA with a cost of $5,742 for in-state students and $17,622 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Going to college is a huge investment for most people. It is important to lack doubt you enlarge your future earning potential. We intend for the following career and income info to help you in making an informed decision when picking your focus.

 Just after college, Urban Planning graduates make $51,905 a year on average (top 21%). Later on in their professions, they predominantly earn something between $33,123 and $94,874, but average close to $56,252. Just so you know, that is 46% above the U.S. average.

 The most common work title for an Urban Planning graduate is Analyst, which normally earn roughly $54,000; next are Account Executive and Program Development Internship, which by and large earn around $36,000 and $34,000 respectively.

 The best paid region for Urban Planning graduates is The Far West. The best paid state for Urban Planning alumni is CA. The highest earning conference for Urban Planning graduates is Big West Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Urban Planning: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is below average.

 Instructors continually play a pivotal role in your college experience, no matter what you study. A good teacher might provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. On the other hand, a bad professor can cause unwanted frustration or even worse... fail you!

 Urban Planning professors have a median student rating of 4 out of 5, putting them in the top 59th percentile in the United States based on overall professor quality. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Professors of Urban Planning just surpassed those from ["Cinematography"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-cinematography), whereas ["Art Teacher Education"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-art-teacher-education)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Urban Planning.

 Now for some statistics about Urban Planning professors. Colleges located in large suburbs tend to have the best Urban Planning professors. The Big Twelve Conference has the highest rated Urban Planning professors. The New England region has the highest rated Urban Planning professors. Private schools tend to have higher rated Urban Planning professors than public schools. Finally, Kansas has the highest rated Urban Planning professors in America.

 Joochul Kim, professor at [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe)&nbspin Tempe, AZ is the most popular Urban Planning professor in the US. Francine Jacobs, instructor at [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university)&nbspin Medford, MA is the highest rated Urban Planning professor in the US, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Learn which colleges have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College can be a supremely consequential time of one's life; it is an occasion for individual growth and development. Scholars attempt to realize their calling and develop the essential skills to become a successful member of society. But growth goes far beyond a classroom environment - the conversations one has with their peers, the life lesson received from an old instructor, the exposure to a different vantage point. As such, finding a diverse college greatly enriches what one gains from the time in college.

 Urban Planning is a more popular major among students of color than white students. 49% of the United States' Urban Planning majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(20%), latino students (16%), and asian students (8%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university)&nbspin Boca Raton, FL.

 Second, Urban Planning slightly skews male, with 44% of majors identifying as men. [Eastern Michigan University](/colleges/eastern-michigan-university) in Ypsilanti, MI has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another significant type of diversity is financial diversity. Urban Planning is more economically diverse than 74% of focuses. 28% of its majors come from homes bringing in north of $110,000 per year, 16% are from mid-income households, and 25% grew up in low income homes. [Ball State University](/colleges/ball-state-university) is the most socioeconomically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Urban Planning. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Conference USA is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 8%
* Black: 6%
* Latino: 16%
* White: 49%
* Other: 20%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 56%
* Female: 44%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 25%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 16%
* Over 110k: 28%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 74%
* Out of State: 21%
* International: 5%


University of Virginia-Main Campus

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Carnegie Mellon University

Cornell University

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.

Haverford College

University of Georgia

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

University of Southern California

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Brigham Young University

Texas A & M University-College Station

University of Maryland-College Park

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

University of Missouri-Columbia

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Temple University

University of California-Davis

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Hardin-Simmons University

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Arizona

Search for the best Urban Planning colleges according to your filter parameters.

2023 Urban Planning Popularity

There are about 5,032 students enrolled in Urban Planning in the USA.

POPULARITY