by our College Data Analytics Team
[Urban Studies](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying urban studies schools.
What’s on this page:
The right urban studies school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Urban Studies Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its urban studies graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Urban Studies Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose urban studies graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in urban studies, no school beat Cuny Graduate School And University Center this year. Located in the city of New York, Cuny Graduate School And University Center is a public institution. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from Cuny Graduate School And University Center typically earn about $94,700 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Cuny Hunter College one of the highest-paying schools for urban studies. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Hunter College is a public institution. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from Cuny Hunter College typically earn about $86,148 annually.
University Of Maryland College Park came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying urban studies schools. University Of Maryland College Park is a public school located in the suburb of College Park. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park typically earn about $76,569 annually.
University Of San Francisco produces some of the highest-paid graduates in urban studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Urban Studies graduates of University Of San Francisco earn a median of about $74,045 a year early in their careers.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying urban studies schools. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Urban Studies graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of about $75,626 a year early in their careers.
Tufts University came in at #6 for urban studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from Tufts University typically earn about $72,585 annually.
Georgia State University landed the #7 spot for urban studies salaries this year. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a public institution. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from Georgia State University typically earn about $88,403 annually.
Cuny Queens College placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for urban studies. Cuny Queens College is a public school located in the city of Queens. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from Cuny Queens College typically earn about $72,009 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their urban studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.