Urban Studies is about average in terms of popularity for master's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #171 out of the 343 majors across the country that we analyze each year. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Urban Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 57 master's degrees in urban studies to qualified students.
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.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to urban studies students as compared to other majors.
Major Demand - The number of urban studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
Student Debt - How easy is it for urban studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized urban studies related body.
Our full 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.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Urban Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Urban Studies in the Southeast Region
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in urban studies.
Top Southeast Region Schools for a Master's in Urban Studies
It's hard to beat Virginia Commonwealth University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Urban Studies master's degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,463 over the typical income of urban studies graduates.
Georgia State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in urban studies. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the urban studies program state that they receive average early career earnings of $52,589.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
