2023 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
23
Ranked Colleges
488
Degrees Awarded
$14,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.
Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 488 urban studies/affairs graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the urban studies/affairs program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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 Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at UPenn
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.
Hunter also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $396 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Hunter
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. 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 #5 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $9,357 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Haverford.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Haverford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.
QC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $1,344 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Queens College
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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.
Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Columbia University in the City of New York
Barnard College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Barnard is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.
Barnard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $20,177 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Barnard College.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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.
Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Barnard
Vassar College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Vassar is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vassar not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar is $10,535 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Vassar College Urban Studies/Affairs Report
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of Maryland - College Park Urban Studies/Affairs Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rutgers New Brunswick, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $14,935 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Towson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Towson is located in Towson, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.
Towson also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Towson University is $7,956 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 85%.
Full Towson Urban Studies/Affairs Report
University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 11 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo also took the #16 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University at Buffalo is $14,098 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University at Buffalo
University at Albany landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Albany, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
UAlbany also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UAlbany is $12,489 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University at Albany
Canisius College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Canisius College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 2 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
Canisius also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $12,990 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Canisius.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Canisius Urban Studies/Affairs Report
Rutgers University - Camden did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Camden, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Rutgers Camden not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - Camden is $11,940 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 85%.
Full Rutgers University - Camden Urban Studies/Affairs Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt also took the #9 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $15,084 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Buffalo State landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Buffalo State is a medium-sized public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 4 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
Buffalo State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Buffalo State is $10,484 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Buffalo State
New York University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NYU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NYU is $23,582 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Full NYU Urban Studies/Affairs Report
Coppin State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 2 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
Coppin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Coppin State University is $10,010 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Coppin State University Urban Studies/Affairs Report
Fordham University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fordham U, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fordham U is $26,202 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Fordham U Urban Studies/Affairs Report
Drexel University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Drexel University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
Drexel also took the #14 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel is $24,508 for Middle Atlantic Region Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Drexel Urban Studies/Affairs Report
With a ranking of #21, University of the District of Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of the District of Columbia is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of the District of Columbia has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $15,313 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of the District of Columbia.
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 University of the District of Columbia
Manhattan College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Riverdale, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Manhattan, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $26,568 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Manhattan College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Full Manhattan Urban Studies/Affairs Report
The New School ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 13 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.
New School University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $38,085 for middle atlantic region urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New School University.
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.
Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at New School University
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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