2026 Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools in Massachusetts

[Urban & Regional Planning](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/urban-and-regional-planning/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for urban & regional planning students.
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2026 Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban & regional planning, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools
Leading the list is University Of Massachusetts Boston, our #1 best value for urban & regional planning in Massachusetts. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston. In-state tuition and fees average $15,898, while out-of-state students pay about $38,115. Urban & Regional Planning graduates carry a median of $26,236 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban & regional planning degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Boston generally make around $52,885. Set against $26,236 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Massachusetts Boston admits about 84% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology earned it the #2 place for urban & regional planning. Set in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $62,396. Urban & Regional Planning graduates carry a median of $13,516 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban & regional planning degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute Of Technology generally make around $81,382. Set against $13,516 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Students looking for strong value in urban & regional planning will find it at Boston University, which ranked #3. Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. Urban & Regional Planning graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban & regional planning degree recipients from Boston University generally make around $60,806. That is a strong return on a $25,232 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
More Urban & Regional Planning Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.