by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 113 U.S. colleges awarded 2,179 degrees and certificates in Urban & Regional Planning. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 62% of graduates. College Factual ranks 59 schools in its 2027 Best Urban & Regional Planning Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $57,381 one year after completing, rising to $78,744 after four years.
Instead of building castles in the sky, do you spend time day-dreaming up your own city? A major in Urban and Regional Planning would prepare you to develop and maintain city and community centers around the world. City planners are responsible for planning the buildings, roads, parks and utilities of cities and urban centers. They also address issues of city sprawl, endless traffic, few natural spaces, and a lack of reliable public transportation.
Your course load will depend on the college you choose. Common courses in this major can range from topics such as economics, architectural principles, management, drafting, law and geographic information system.
A degree in Urban & Regional Planning involves the study of City/urban, Community, And Regional Planning.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., urban & regional planning is a popular field of study, with 2,179 degrees awarded annually. 113 colleges award urban & regional planning degrees, an average of 19 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 101.
By level, the 2,179 awards include 4 certificates, 730 bachelor’s degrees, 1,359 master’s degrees and 86 doctorates.
Women earned 52% of urban & regional planning degrees and certificates in the latest year (1,139 of 2,179). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1,036) and Hispanic or Latino (358), and international students earned 281.
College Factual ranks 59 schools in its 2027 Best Urban & Regional Planning Schools ranking, including 23 for bachelor’s degrees and 45 for master’s degrees. It also ranks urban & regional planning schools within 20 states. In all, 113 colleges offer urban & regional planning programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common urban & regional planning credential is the master’s degree: 1,359 of the 2,179 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to urban & regional planning call most for Reading Comprehension, Speaking and Writing, and for knowledge of English Language, Design and Engineering and Technology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Comprehension, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
If you think you would enjoy learning and applying principles of planning, analyzing, and architecture to developing and improving urban areas, this may be the major for you. A career as a city, community or regional planner is for someone who takes pleasure in understanding how social, economic, and political systems work together. Students will rely on the principles of architectural design in order to create communities that are eco-friendly and appealing to its residents. This is done by designing public transportation, affordable housing, and comfortable and environmentally friendly buildings.
Critical assessment and problem identification are necessary skills for this major. It is also imperative to be able to evaluate and come up with strategies to fix problems and implement solutions. Students will need to be strong thinkers with an interest in correcting present problems and avoiding problems in the future. The idea is not to provide a Band-Aid to an issue, but to actually fix it in order to create livable and healthy environments for communities all around the world. Students should be prepared to build physical models and designs as well as models on the computer.
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How long an urban & regional planning degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 4 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 730 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,359 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 86 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to urban & regional planning, at 36.4%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 36.4% |
| Master’s degree | 22.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 18.7% |
| First professional degree | 10.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 6.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 2.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET Online.
5 occupations are related to Urban & Regional Planning, with an average median salary of $74,361; the strongest outlook belongs to Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary, at 11.8% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Lecturer, Family Consumer Science Teacher, City Planning Teacher and Survey Research Teacher.
With a degree in Urban and Regional Planning a student can go in many different directions. They can become a land use and code enforcement planners, transportation planners, environmental and natural resources planners, economic development planners, and urban design planners. With so many different focuses, it really allows the student to pick what interests and inspires them.
In order to become a city planner a master's degree is necessary. Most programs will accept undergrads with a degree in a range of topics, such as economics, geography, political science, or environmental design. Depending on what interests you, the graduate program you pick will focus on the issues that mean the most to you.
The occupation related to urban & regional planning with the most projected jobs is Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other, at 1,421,275.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 1,421,275 | 11.1% |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | 489,715 | 11.8% |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 440,884 | 8.0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 207,139 | 9.0% |
| Urban and Regional Planners | 52,637 | 8.1% |
Urban & Regional Planning graduates earn a median $57,381 one year after completing their program, $78,744 after four years and $78,977 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $57,381 |
| 4 years | $78,744 |
| 5 years | $78,977 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to urban & regional planning is Architectural and Engineering Managers, with a median salary of $101,277.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $101,277 |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | $89,263 |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $66,890 |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | $66,757 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $47,617 |
Urban & Regional Planning includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (2,179). It has 8 similar majors in the Architecture/Urban Planning field, which together award 19,030 degrees a year; the largest are Architectural Sciences and Technology (10,337), Architecture (4,669) and Landscape Architecture (1,321). Browse all Architecture/Urban Planning majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 2,179 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 10,337 |
| Architecture | 4,669 |
| Landscape Architecture | 1,321 |
| Interior Architecture | 933 |
| Environmental Design | 773 |
| Real Estate Development | 608 |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | 216 |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | 173 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
