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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Urban & Regional Planning

121 Ranked Colleges
2,419 Degrees Awarded
$34,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 2,419 people earned their degree in urban and regional planning, making the major the 183rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, urban and regional planning graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,745 and had an average of $23,296 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major” ranking analyzed 121 colleges that offered a degree in urban and regional planning. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular urban and regional planning programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Planning Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UW Seattle Urban & Regional Planning Report

2

Out of the 121 schools in the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #2 spot on the list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at Arizona State University - Tempe

3

Out of the 121 schools in the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #3 spot on the list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at ASU - Skysong

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Out of the 121 schools in the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 86 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Arizona Urban & Regional Planning Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at Ohio State University - Main Campus

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 62 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at UCLA

7
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 61 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 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 more about Urban & Regional Planning at University of Southern California

7

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #7. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 61 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 87%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning Report

9

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #9. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at UC Davis

10
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #10, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 59 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. 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.

Full Cornell University Urban & Regional Planning Report

10

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 59 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

12

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #12. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at Texas A&M College Station

13

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 & Regional Planning at Columbia University in the City of New York

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. CU Anschutz is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Urban & Regional Planning Report

15

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 46 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

16

With a ranking of #16, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 45 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at UNC Chapel Hill

17
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 44 degrees to qualified ’s urban planning students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at NYU

18

With a ranking of #18, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 41 students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

19

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

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 93%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Urban & Regional Planning Report

20

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #20. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at Iowa State

21

University of California - Irvine ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 36 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Urban & Regional Planning Report

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 33 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at Florida State

23
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #23. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 32 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State Urban & Regional Planning Report

23
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban planning degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning at Florida Atlantic University

25

Portland State University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major list. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 31 ’s urban planning degrees 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 full report on Urban & Regional Planning at Portland State University

25
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

Pratt Institute - Main did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Urban Planning Major ranking, coming in at #25. Pratt Institute is a medium-sized school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 31 ’s urban planning degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning at Pratt Institute

Notes and References

References

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