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2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

78 Ranked Colleges
1,507 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 1,507 people earned their degree in urban studies/affairs, making the major the 346th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 78 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in urban studies/affairs. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality urban studies/affairs programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the urban studies/affairs 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.

More Ways to Rank Urban Studies/Affairs Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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 Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $0-$30k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 12 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford University Urban Studies/Affairs Report

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. It costs about $580 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UPenn.

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 0.9% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at UPenn

3
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown University is $1,468 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Brown University Urban Studies/Affairs Report

4
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tufts University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also took the #5 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $8,122 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Tufts University

5
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $396 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Urban Studies/Affairs Report

6
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Haverford, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,357 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Haverford College

7
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Trinity College is located in Hartford, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity College is $9,349 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity College Urban Studies/Affairs Report

8
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Queens College is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 63 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,344 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend QC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Queens College

9

With a ranking of #9, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 5 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington University in St Louis Urban Studies/Affairs Report

10

University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Urban Studies/Affairs Report

11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. It costs about $7,698 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Urban Studies/Affairs Report

12

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 - San Diego Urban Studies/Affairs Report

13

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 19 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Columbia

14
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Barnard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 20 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barnard, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Barnard is $20,177 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Barnard College

15
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 15 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $10,535 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 93%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Vassar Urban Studies/Affairs Report

16
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $11,934 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Virginia Tech Urban Studies/Affairs Report

17

University of California - Irvine landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 65 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 more about Urban Studies/Affairs at UC Irvine

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #18, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University of Southern California

19

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 15 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. It costs about $6,067 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University of Maryland - College Park

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,266 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at California State University - Northridge

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,169 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at San Diego State University

22
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $10,705 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at SFSU

23

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 30 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Austin Urban Studies/Affairs Report

24
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend U of U is $10,431 for urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full U of U Urban Studies/Affairs Report

25

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Urban Studies/Affairs Report

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