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2023 Best Value Colleges for Urban Education & Leadership (Income $0-$30k)

26 Ranked Colleges
736 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 736 people earned their degree in urban education and leadership, making the major the 498th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in urban education and leadership. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great urban education and leadership programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the urban education and leadership program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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.

Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Urban Education & Leadership (Income $0-$30k)

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s urban education and leadership students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full Vanderbilt Urban Education & Leadership Report

2
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Brown Urban Education & Leadership Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $3,196 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 91%.

Full FIU Urban Education & Leadership Report

4
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University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Delaware. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s urban education and leadership students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k list, UD has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $13,726 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Delaware Urban Education & Leadership Report

5
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s urban education and leadership degrees to qualified students.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at University of Southern California

6
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The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey

With a ranking of #6, The College of New Jersey did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ewing, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban education and leadership degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k list, TCNJ has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TCNJ is $14,273 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The College of New Jersey Urban Education & Leadership Report

7

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 27 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $8,991 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Education & Leadership at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

8

With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 5 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI also took the #22 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 IUPUI Urban Education & Leadership Report

9

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago Urban Education & Leadership Report

10

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 23 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

CU Anschutz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. It costs about $10,404 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

11

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Charlotte is a large school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 38 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Charlotte, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $12,751 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Education & Leadership at UNC Charlotte

12

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s urban education and leadership degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k list, UWM has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $11,973 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Urban Education & Leadership Report

13
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #13, Providence College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Providence College is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s urban education and leadership degrees to qualified students.

Providence not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Providence is $19,043 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Education & Leadership at Providence

14

With a ranking of #14, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $13,989 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Urban Education & Leadership Report

15
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Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cardinal Stritch University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cardinal Stritch is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cardinal Stritch not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. It costs about $17,584 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cardinal Stritch University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at Cardinal Stritch

16
Kean crest
Kean University
Union, New Jersey

With a ranking of #16, Kean University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kean University is a fairly large school located in Union, New Jersey that handed out 4 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

Kean also took the #20 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kean University is $14,413 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kean University Urban Education & Leadership Report

17
NJCU crest
New Jersey City University
Jersey City, New Jersey

New Jersey City University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Jersey City, New Jersey, and it awarded 38 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

NJCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for New Jersey City University is $12,149 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full New Jersey City University Urban Education & Leadership Report

18

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s urban education and leadership degrees to qualified students.

UMass Boston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $13,734 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at University of Massachusetts - Boston

19
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Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Metro State is a public institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Metro State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University is $14,794 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at Metropolitan State University

20
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s urban education and leadership degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $13,020 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Urban Education & Leadership at Park University

21
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 228 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount also took the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. It costs about $32,730 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola Marymount Urban Education & Leadership Report

22
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee

Union University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban education and leadership degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k list, Union has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,978 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Union.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Urban Education & Leadership at Union

23
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 9 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend HNU is $16,600 for urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Urban Education & Leadership at HNU

24
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 2 ’s urban education and leadership degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban education and leadership students whose families make $0-$30k list, Liberty University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. It costs about $29,786 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Liberty University.

Full Liberty University Urban Education & Leadership Report

25
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #25, Belmont University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Education and Leadership Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban education and leadership degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Belmont, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Urban Education & Leadership Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,078 for Urban Education and Leadership students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Belmont.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Education & Leadership at Belmont University

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