2027 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the New England Region

[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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for urban studies/affairs students.
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2027 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in the New England Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the urban studies/affairs degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools
Harvard University earned the #1 spot for value among urban studies/affairs schools in the New England Region. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $61,676 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for urban studies/affairs graduates is $16,616. Urban Studies/affairs graduates of Harvard University earn a median of $95,207 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
University Of Connecticut is a great value for students pursuing a degree in urban studies/affairs, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Connecticut is a very large public school located in the town of Storrs. Students from in state pay about $21,044 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $43,712. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban studies/affairs degree recipients from University Of Connecticut generally make around $34,074. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 52% of applicants are accepted.
Brown University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value urban studies/affairs schools. Located in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,312. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $14,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban studies/affairs degree recipients from Brown University generally make around $48,731. That is a strong return on a $14,000 median debt. Brown University admits about 5% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northeastern University earned it the #4 place for urban studies/affairs. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $66,162. Typical student debt for urban studies/affairs graduates is $25,611. Early-career urban studies/affairs graduates make about $74,800. That is a strong return on a $25,611 median debt. The acceptance rate is 5%.
A rank of #5 makes Tufts University one of the best values for urban studies/affairs. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,704. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $17,074 in student loans. Urban Studies/affairs graduates of Tufts University earn a median of $64,224 early in their careers. Set against $17,074 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Tufts University admits about 12% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.