2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in Massachusetts
[Urban Studies/Affairs](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/urban-studies-affairs/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong urban studies/affairs education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value urban studies/affairs schools.
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2026 Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in urban studies/affairs, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Urban Studies/Affairs Schools
Harvard University earned the #1 spot for value among urban studies/affairs schools in Massachusetts. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,676. 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.
Students looking for strong value in urban studies/affairs will find it at Boston University, which ranked #2. Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban studies/affairs degree recipients from Boston University generally make around $63,598. Set against $25,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 11%.
Students looking for strong value in urban studies/affairs will find it at Northeastern University, which ranked #3. 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. Urban Studies/affairs graduates carry a median of $25,611 in student loans. Soon after graduation, urban studies/affairs degree recipients from Northeastern University generally make around $74,800. Set against $25,611 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in urban studies/affairs will find it at Tufts University, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,704. Typical student debt for urban studies/affairs graduates is $17,074. Soon after graduation, urban studies/affairs degree recipients from Tufts University generally make around $64,224. Set against $17,074 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Tufts University admits about 12% of applicants.
More Urban Studies/Affairs Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
