by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 12 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Urban Studies Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 327 master's degrees in urban studies during the <nil> academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of urban studies for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality urban studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for urban studies students working on their master's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Urban Studies Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in urban studies.
It is difficult to beat Harvard University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in urban studies from Harvard University
University of Southern California is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in urban studies from University of Southern California
It is difficult to beat Boston University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in urban studies from Boston University
Tufts University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, urban studies master's recipients generally make around $64,224 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in urban studies from Tufts University
Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Master's recipients from the urban studies major at University of San Francisco get $7,219 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in urban studies from University of San Francisco
Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population.
Urban Studies master's degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park get an earnings boost of around $9,743 over the typical income of urban studies graduates.
More information about a master’s in urban studies from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in urban studies from Northeastern University
The Graduate Center is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in urban studies from The Graduate Center, CUNY
Hunter is a very large public college located in the city of New York.
Those urban studies students who get their master's degree from Hunter College make $5,186 more than the average urban studies graduate.
More information about a master’s in urban studies from Hunter College
VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond.
Soon after graduating, urban studies master's recipients generally earn about $65,514 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in urban studies from Virginia Commonwealth UniversityView the Best Urban Studies Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Urban Studies is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 327 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 5,317 |
| International Relations & National Security | 5,262 |
| Political Science & Government | 2,000 |
| General Social Sciences | 1,618 |
| Sociology | 1,358 |
| Geography & Cartography | 1,193 |
| Anthropology | 1,028 |
| Other Social Sciences | 315 |
| Archeology | 52 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 46 |
