by our College Data Analytics Team
[Urban Studies](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a urban studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find where urban studies graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose urban studies graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of California Berkeley tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying urban studies schools in California. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. Students who complete the urban studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $105,067.
Students chasing top earnings in urban studies will find them at California State University Northridge, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a public institution. Students who complete the urban studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,696.
A rank of #3 makes San Francisco State University one of the highest-paying schools for urban studies. Set in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Urban Studies graduates of San Francisco State University earn a median of about $57,943 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of San Francisco earned it the #4 place for urban studies. Set 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.
A rank of #5 makes University Of California San Diego one of the highest-paying schools for urban studies. University Of California San Diego is a public school located in the city of La Jolla. After graduating, urban studies degree recipients from University Of California San Diego typically earn about $71,507 annually.
University Of California Irvine came in at #6 for urban studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a public institution. Urban Studies graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of about $62,232 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published 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 · 6 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.