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2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in Pennsylvania

[Urban Studies/Affairs](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/urban-studies-affairs/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for urban studies/affairs students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in Pennsylvania

2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in Pennsylvania

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban studies/affairs, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools

1

University Of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

$68,686 In-State Tuition & Fees

$16,155 Avg Student Debt

$111,371 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked University Of Pennsylvania the best value for a degree in urban studies/affairs in Pennsylvania. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $16,155 in student loans. Early-career urban studies/affairs graduates make about $99,682. Set against $16,155 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.

2

Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA

$65,920 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,069 Avg Student Debt

$75,217 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in urban studies/affairs will find it at Bryn Mawr College, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,920. Typical student debt for urban studies/affairs graduates is $23,069. Urban Studies/affairs graduates of Bryn Mawr College earn a median of $35,668 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 29%.

View All Urban Studies/Affairs Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.