College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Urban & Regional Planning Doctor's Degree Schools

22 Colleges in the United States
86 Doctor's Degrees
$78,993 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a doctor's degree in urban & regional planning sits in the middle of the road, ranking #124 out of 306 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 22 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Urban & Regional Planning Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 86 doctor's degrees in urban & regional planning during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Urban & Regional Planning School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Urban & Regional Planning Doctor's Degree Schools The urban planning doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for urban & regional planning students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Urban Planning Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Urban & Regional Planning Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.


 

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Urban & Regional Planning in the United States

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for urban & regional planning students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Urban Planning

1
9 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in urban & regional planning. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2
5 Annual Graduates

University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in urban & regional planning. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from University of Southern California

3
8 Annual Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in urban & regional planning. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
1 Annual Graduates

Harvard University is a good choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in urban & regional planning. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Harvard University

5
6 Annual Graduates

UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from University of California - Berkeley

6
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from University of California - Los Angeles

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
1 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from University of Pennsylvania

7
1 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

8
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Texas A&M University - College Station

9
3 Annual Graduates

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca.More information about a doctorate in urban & regional planning from Cornell University

Urban & Regional Planning by Region

View the Best Urban & Regional Planning Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Urban & Regional Planning is one of 8 different types of Architecture & Related Services programs to choose from.

Urban Planning Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Urban & Regional Planning, General 86

Majors Similar to Urban Planning

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Architecture 111
Architectural Sciences & Technology 30
Environmental Design 27
Architectural History 1

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options