2023 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $0-$30k)
78
Ranked Colleges
1,507
Degrees Awarded
$8,000
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 1,507 people earned their degree in urban studies, making the major the 209th most popular in the United States. 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 Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 78 colleges that offer a degree in urban studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality urban studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Urban Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 12 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,233 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Stanford University Urban Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.
Full University of Pennsylvania Urban Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.
Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown University is $1,468 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Read full report on Urban Studies at Brown
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 26 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $8,122 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Urban Studies at Tufts University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 90 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $396 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Read full report on Urban Studies at Hunter
Haverford College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Haverford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Haverford College is $9,357 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Haverford Urban Studies Report
Trinity College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Trinity Bantams is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 17 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Bantams, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,349 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity Bantams.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read more about Urban Studies at Trinity College
Queens College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $1,344 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full QC Urban Studies Report
Washington University in St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 5 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also took the #17 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Washington University in St Louis Urban Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $8,450 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Urban Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #15 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Urban Studies Report
University of California - San Diego came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 38 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies at University of California - San Diego
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Urban Studies Report
Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 20 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Barnard also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Barnard is $20,177 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Barnard Urban Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Vassar College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 15 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Vassar also made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar is $10,535 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Urban Studies at Vassar College
Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 14 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Urban Studies at Virginia Tech
University of California - Irvine ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 65 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Urban Studies at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #18, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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.
Read more about Urban Studies at USC
With a ranking of #19, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 15 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Urban Studies at University of Maryland - College Park
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. CSUN 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 $6,266 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Urban Studies at CSUN
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Urban Studies at SDSU
San Francisco State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read full report on Urban Studies at SFSU
With a ranking of #23, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s urban studies students in 2020-2021.
UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 full report on Urban Studies at UT Austin
University of Utah ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Utah is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 17 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $10,431 for urban studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full U of U Urban Studies Report
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for Urban Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Read full report on Urban Studies at ASU - Tempe
