Best City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
15
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$2,400
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$35,572
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate: 85.3% |
CA | +$444,902 | $71,455 | $29,918 | $18,167 | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Grad rate: 66.5% |
CA | +$240,987 | $59,616 | $22,672 | $15,292 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | +$186,624 | $57,758 | $32,134 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of Southern California
Grad rate: 92.2% |
CA | +$77,268 | $62,799 | $84,678 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Iowa State University
Grad rate: 75.0% |
IA | +$75,774 | $52,273 | $23,309 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Florida Atlantic University
Grad rate: 63.2% |
FL | +$40,652 | $50,110 | $21,054 | $27,653 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Texas A&M University-College Station
Grad rate: 83.7% |
TX | +$17,770 | $50,723 | $32,085 | $21,000 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
University of Arizona
Grad rate: 66.9% |
AZ | -$6,862 | $49,053 | $28,543 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | -$26,282 | $42,509 | N/A | $27,009 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | -$95,427 | $44,797 | $29,320 | $25,250 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | -$138,470 | $42,509 | $28,047 | $27,009 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Westfield State University
Grad rate: 57.4% |
MA | -$143,537 | $41,705 | $26,435 | $23,628 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Grad rate: 84.0% |
WA | -$183,111 | $40,098 | $30,282 | $17,736 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Cornell University
Grad rate: 95.2% |
NY | -$202,115 | $49,497 | $83,196 | $14,275 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Texas State University
Grad rate: 56.0% |
TX | -$252,172 | $36,416 | $26,348 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Degrees by State
Browse City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.