City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Degree
Students study land use, transportation systems, zoning laws, community development, and sustainable urban design to shape how cities and regions grow. Graduates typically pursue careers as urban planners, transportation planners, housing policy analysts, and community development directors for government agencies and consulting firms. This major is increasingly relevant as cities face challenges around housing, climate adaptation, and equitable development.
What City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Graduates Do
Your degree prepares you to shape the places where people live and work. As an entry-level urban or regional planner, your days will involve a mix of technical analysis and public engagement. You might spend the morning analyzing zoning codes and environmental impact data for a new housing development, then spend the evening presenting those plans at a town hall meeting, navigating feedback from residents and developers.
With experience, your focus can shift from hands-on planning to leadership. Many planners advance to become architectural and engineering managers, where you’ll direct large-scale projects, manage multimillion-dollar budgets, and lead teams of technical staff. Others pivot to academia, teaching the next generation of planners and architects. While planning and management roles show steady growth, academic positions are more competitive.
AI will significantly change your day-to-day work, automating routine tasks like data analysis and preliminary site plan generation. This means your value will shift from technical grunt work to uniquely human skills: negotiating with community stakeholders, making ethical judgments about development, and critically evaluating AI-generated options. Adaptability will be key to thriving.
Common Career Paths
Where City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 20,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% | |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | 900 | +2.0% | 49% | |
| Urban and regional planners | 3,400 | +3.4% | 48% | |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | 1,500 | +1.7% | 0% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
15 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA |
61 64–62 |
$45,960/yr | 23.0x |
| 2 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX |
56 58–57 |
$50,580/yr | 11.5x |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ |
53 56–54 |
$46,954/yr | 11.7x |
| 4 | Iowa State University Ames, IA |
53 57–54 |
$44,146/yr | 13.7x |
| 5 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ |
53 60–54 |
$40,037/yr | 14.8x |
| 6 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX |
52 54–53 |
$47,256/yr | 11.5x |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA |
49 56–50 |
$39,635/yr | 12.9x |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA |
47 49–47 |
$47,832/yr | 9.8x |
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
45 51–46 |
$41,501/yr | 10.3x |
| 10 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH |
43 46–44 |
$46,122/yr | 7.5x |
| 11 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ |
42 45–43 |
$46,954/yr | — |
| 12 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL |
41 51–42 |
$22,719/yr | 32.5x |
| 13 | Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH |
36 43–37 |
$40,721/yr | 4.7x |
| 14 | Westfield State University Westfield, MA |
33 47–34 |
$32,802/yr | 10.5x |
| 15 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY |
27 38–28 |
$37,131/yr | 1.7x |
Highest Earning City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Programs
Schools where City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $50,580/yr | 56 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $47,832/yr | 47 |
| Texas State University | $47,256/yr | 52 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | $46,954/yr | 53 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion | $46,954/yr | 42 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | $46,122/yr | 43 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $45,960/yr | 61 |
| Iowa State University | $44,146/yr | 53 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | $41,501/yr | 45 |
| Miami University-Oxford | $40,721/yr | 36 |
Best ROI for City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University | 32.5x | $22,719/yr | 41 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 23.0x | $45,960/yr | 61 |
| University of Arizona | 14.8x | $40,037/yr | 53 |
| Iowa State University | 13.7x | $44,146/yr | 53 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 12.9x | $39,635/yr | 49 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 11.7x | $46,954/yr | 53 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | 11.5x | $50,580/yr | 56 |
| Texas State University | 11.5x | $47,256/yr | 52 |
| Westfield State University | 10.5x | $32,802/yr | 33 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | 10.3x | $41,501/yr | 45 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.