Urban Planning major
Urban Planning: courses, careers, and where to study
Urban Planning studies how communities use land, housing, and transportation, suiting students who want to shape physical and policy decisions about where people live and move.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Urban Planning earn a median $66,874 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $50,087 to $86,436 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
An Urban Planning major (often titled urban studies, city planning, or community and regional planning) covers land-use and zoning, transportation systems, housing policy, environmental and sustainability planning, and the legal and economic frameworks that govern development. Coursework combines spatial analysis with public process: students learn geographic information systems (GIS), demographic and site analysis, plan-making, and how planning commissions, zoning boards, and public hearings make decisions. Most programs include a studio sequence where students produce a real plan for a neighborhood, corridor, or city.
Graduates work for city and county planning departments, regional and metropolitan planning organizations, consulting firms, transit agencies, and nonprofit and community development organizations, reviewing development proposals, drafting comprehensive and zoning plans, running public engagement, and analyzing the effects of land-use and transportation choices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of urban and regional planners is projected to change 3.4% from 2024 to 2034, and the occupation's 2024 median wage was $83,720. Many planning roles, particularly senior and specialized positions, list a master's degree as the typical entry-level education, so a number of graduates continue into an accredited master's program.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Urban Planning maps to CIP 04.0301, City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, within the ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply principles of planning, analysis, and architecture to the development and improvement of urban areas and surrounding regions, and to function as professional planners. Includes instruction in principles of architecture; master plan development; service, communications, and transportation systems design; community and commercial development; zoning; land use planning; applied economics; policy analysis; applicable laws and regulations; and professional responsibilities and managerial duties.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Urban Planning is awarded as
Of the 2,154 Urban Planning credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 2%, 35 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 34%, 730 credentials.
- Graduate: 64%, 1,389 credentials.
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Land-use planning and zoning regulation
- Transportation and mobility systems planning
- Housing policy and community development
- Geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis
- Demographic, economic, and site analysis
- Environmental planning and sustainability
- Planning law, public process, and ethics
- Studio: producing a comprehensive or area plan
Typical careers
- Urban and regional planners
- Transportation Planner
- GIS Analyst
- Community Development Specialist
- Zoning or Permitting Specialist
- Planning Consultant
Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 urban and regional planners median $83,720Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Urban Planning graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Urban Planning earn a median $66,874 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $50,087 to $86,436 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $66,874 | $50,087 to $86,436 |
| Master's | $79,665 | $64,057 to $98,223 |
Compare Urban Planning programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Urban Planning programs
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (CA): $80,820, median federal debt $19,334
- University of Arizona (AZ): $76,360, median federal debt $24,863
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (CA): $72,704, median federal debt $15,000
- Texas A & M University-College Station (TX): $70,592, median federal debt $17,720
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion (AZ): $68,163, median federal debt $23,444
- Florida Atlantic University (FL): $66,093, median federal debt $21,114
- Iowa State University (IA): $61,173, median federal debt $24,250
- Ohio State University-Main Campus (OH): $57,573, median federal debt $24,000
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Urban Planning, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $83,720 | 3,400 | +3.4% | Master's degree |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $75,040 | 1,500 | +1.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | $101,480 | 900 | +2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Urban Planning does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Urban Planning major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Urban Planning program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Urban Planning department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Urban Planning program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Urban Planning credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus, WA · 101 credentials
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA · 91 credentials
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion, AZ · 87 credentials
- Texas A & M University-College Station, TX · 87 credentials
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion, AZ · 77 credentials
- University of Arizona, AZ · 76 credentials
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, CA · 63 credentials
- University of California-Los Angeles, CA · 63 credentials
- University of Virginia-Main Campus, VA · 59 credentials
- Ohio State University-Main Campus, OH · 58 credentials
- University of Florida, FL · 55 credentials
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, CA · 54 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Urban Planning credentials were awarded
7 states have a distinct enough set of Urban Planning colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy, preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
Public Administration
Public Administration trains graduates for careers in government, nonprofits, and public-private partnerships, combining policy analysis with management practice.
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering applies physics, mechanics, and design to the built environment, roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings, suiting students who want to plan and build public infrastructure.
Environmental Science
Environmental Science combines biology, chemistry, geology, and policy to address climate, conservation, water, and pollution challenges.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Urban Planning degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Urban Planning degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Urban Planning path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.