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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Urban Studies

127 Ranked Colleges
1,507 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Urban Studies is the 209th most popular major in the country with 1,507 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,193 and had an average of $21,495 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major” ranking, we looked at 127 colleges that offer a degree in urban studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful urban studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for urban studies students.

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Urban Studies at USC

2
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Out of the 127 schools in the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter College Urban Studies Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Irvine Urban Studies Report

4
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Out of the 127 schools in the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 63 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Queens College

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 62 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at VCU

6

Cleveland State University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 56 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Cleveland State University Urban Studies Report

7

University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at University of California - San Diego

8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 37 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Urban Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking, coming in at #9. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 57 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Urban Studies Report

9

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tacoma, Washington, and it awarded 36 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Tacoma Urban Studies Report

11

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at UNLV

11

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban Studies at UC Berkeley

13
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #13, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at NYU

14
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at UPenn

14

Portland State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Portland State University

16

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Pitt

16
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #16, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Urban Studies Report

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

19
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. UCONN is a public institution located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at UCONN

20

California State University - Northridge ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Urban Studies Report

21
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Tufts

22
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 20 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Urban Studies at Barnard College

22
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Georgia State

24

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major ranking, coming in at #24. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Columbia

25
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #25, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Studies Major list. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 18 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Urban Studies at Brown

Notes and References

References

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