2027 Best Value Urban Studies Schools in Pennsylvania
[Urban Studies](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for urban studies students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Urban Studies Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Urban Studies Schools
University Of Pennsylvania earned the #1 spot for value among urban studies schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete the urban studies program here. Early-career urban studies graduates make about $99,682. Set against $16,155 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Students looking for strong value in urban studies will find it at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus, which ranked #2. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,926, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for urban studies graduates is $24,958. Urban Studies graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $36,099 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Bryn Mawr College one of the best values for urban studies. Located in the suburb of Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,920. Students borrow a median of $23,069 to complete the urban studies program here. Soon after graduation, urban studies degree recipients from Bryn Mawr College generally make around $35,668. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 29%.
More Urban Studies Rankings
View All Urban Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
