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2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

78 Ranked Colleges
1,507 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that 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 $30-$48k” 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.

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.

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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 For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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 $30-$48k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 32 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,938 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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

3
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 26 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. It costs about $7,987 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 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 more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Tufts

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Urban Studies/Affairs Report

5
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k list, Brown has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,842 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brown University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Brown

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,135 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter College.

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

7
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Haverford College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 ’s urban affairs degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Haverford is $9,272 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Haverford

8

Washington University in St Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 5 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $2,446 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Washington University in St Louis

9
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vassar is located in Poughkeepsie, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

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 $13,193 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Vassar

10
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #10, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 63 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,524 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at QC

11
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Barnard College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Barnard also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Barnard is $15,090 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Barnard

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 35 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of California - Berkeley

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - San Diego Urban Studies/Affairs Report

15
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity Bantams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hartford, Connecticut. It awarded 17 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

Trinity Bantams also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Bantams is $8,608 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Trinity Bantams Urban Studies/Affairs Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $8,449 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at UC Irvine

17
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #17, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 102 diplomas to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,345 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Southern California Urban Studies/Affairs Report

18

California State University - Northridge landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $7,103 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at California State University - Northridge

19
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 also took the #10 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,003 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Virginia Tech

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $11,567 for urban affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of Maryland - College Park

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at San Diego State University

22

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified ’s urban affairs students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $8,697 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 UMN Duluth Urban Studies/Affairs Report

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 31 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,862 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Urban Studies/Affairs Report

24

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 9 ’s urban affairs degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,263 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Minnesota State Mankato Urban Studies/Affairs Report

25
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban affairs degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,782 for Urban Affairs students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 1.4% 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 Boston University

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