by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Urban Studies is the 209th most popular major in the country with 1,507 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,193 and had an average of $21,495 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 78 colleges that offer a degree in urban studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent urban studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the urban studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The urban studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 90 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,158 for Urban Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 63 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,469 for urban studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our urban studies students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for Urban Studies students with aid.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our urban studies students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for Urban Studies students with aid.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Northridge ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 27 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for urban studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for urban studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Virginia Tech ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $21,301 for urban studies students with aid per year to attend Virginia Tech.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 37 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our urban studies students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Pennsylvania landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 32 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $25,046 for Urban Studies students with aid.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Utah came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,572 for Urban Studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 30 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #25 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for urban studies students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Urban Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
Portland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 32 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $12,498 for urban studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 31 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for Urban Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies at San Francisco State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,486 for urban studies students with aid per year to attend UWM.
Read more about Urban Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
With a ranking of #16, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for urban studies students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,159 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Urban Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
With a ranking of #18, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,048 for Urban Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #24 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $23,035 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 93%.
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $10,993 for Urban Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $22,823 for Urban Studies students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Cleveland State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 56 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,943 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend Cleveland State University.
With a ranking of #23, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 5 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,581 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #24, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia State University is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 24 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,242 for urban studies students with aid per year to attend Georgia State.
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,855 for Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend UM Dearborn.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
