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2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

73 Ranked Colleges
1,041 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,475 people earned their degree in urban studies/affairs, making the major the 341st most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,041 urban studies/affairs graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 73 colleges that offer a degree in urban studies/affairs. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great urban studies/affairs programs and cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k 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 10 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Columbia

#3

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,832 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Washington University in St Louis Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $12,752 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UPenn Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Berkeley Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#6

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#11 in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban affairs students in 2019-2020.

Brown also took the #11 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $11,689 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Brown University

#7

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Swarthmore College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Swarthmore is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore is $13,744 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Swarthmore College

#8

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban affairs students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,222 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend QC.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Urban Studies/Affairs at QC

#9

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $6,894 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at Hunter College

#17 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#12 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $15,757 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#20 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #20 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University of California - Irvine

#13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#21 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,556 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive 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 93%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#14

Barnard College

New York, New York
#5 in overall quality

Barnard College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k list, Barnard has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard is $16,751 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Barnard College

#15

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut
#6 in overall quality

Trinity College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Bantams is $14,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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.

Full Trinity College Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#16

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York
#9 in overall quality

Vassar College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s urban affairs students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $14,900 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vassar College Urban Studies/Affairs Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 27 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $12,470 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at UNLV

California State University - Northridge came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

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

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full UIC Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#20

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #20, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,373 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Full St. Cloud State University Urban Studies/Affairs Report

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $12,438 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#22

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $19,691 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Urban Studies/Affairs Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 9 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,451 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

The school has an impressive 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 Minnesota State Mankato

#24

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Bryn Mawr College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bryn Mawr College is a small school located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

Bryn Mawr not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bryn Mawr is $18,848 for bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bryn Mawr Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#25

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,584 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full UW - Green Bay Urban Studies/Affairs Report

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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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