College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Urban & Regional Planning, General

27 Ranked Colleges
93 Degrees Awarded
$34,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2021-2022, 2,193 people earned their degree in urban & regional planning, general, making the major the 264th most popular in the United States.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 93 urban & regional planning, general graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in urban & regional planning, general. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their urban & regional planning, general program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Urban Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Urban & Regional Planning, General

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at MIT

2
Jackson State crest
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi

Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Jackson State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Jackson, Mississippi, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at Jackson State University

3

Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Southern University landed the #3 spot on the list. TSU is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full TSU Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s urban design students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

5

Out of the 27 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 7 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at UC Irvine

6

University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. UH Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 1 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at UH Manoa

7

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s urban design students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at UC Berkeley

8

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at University of Maryland - College Park

9
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking, coming in at #9. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s urban design degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Cornell Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s urban design degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at Ohio State University - Main Campus

11

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 3 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at University of California - Los Angeles

12

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s urban design degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

13
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s urban design degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at Rutgers New Brunswick

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at University of Southern California

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 1 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at U-M

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified doctorate’s urban design students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

18

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking, coming in at #18. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

19

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 1 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

21
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s urban design students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at Harvard

22
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UPenn Urban & Regional Planning, General Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at UNC Chapel Hill

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 4 doctorate’s urban design degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban & Regional Planning, General at UW Seattle

25

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Urban Design Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban & Regional Planning, General at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options