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2023 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k)

78 Ranked Colleges
1,507 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 78 colleges that offered 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the urban studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Urban Studies Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

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 $48-$75k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 12 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Stanford University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,106 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 Columbia Urban Studies Report

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,020 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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

4
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #4 spot on the list. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Haverford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Haverford College is $17,402 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban Studies at Haverford College

5
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 18 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. It costs about $10,219 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brown University.

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 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%. 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 Brown University Urban Studies Report

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 90 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,908 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hunter College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Hunter

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #7, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Tufts has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $19,827 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Tufts University Urban Studies Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California - Berkeley

9
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #9, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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 estimated yearly cost for QC is $7,582 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Studies at QC

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Minnesota - 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 made our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,911 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

11
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, WUSTL has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $8,149 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.1%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full WUSTL Urban Studies Report

12

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 UCSD Urban Studies Report

13
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Barnard College is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barnard, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Barnard is $19,810 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Barnard Urban Studies Report

14

University of California - Irvine ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 65 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine Urban Studies Report

15
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s urban studies degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Trinity Bantams also took the #14 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,675 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Trinity College.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity Bantams Urban Studies Report

16
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 102 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,826 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Urban Studies at USC

17
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

With a ranking of #17, Vassar College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vassar is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. It costs about $17,403 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vassar College.

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. 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Vassar College

18

California State University - Northridge ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 27 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Urban Studies at CSUN

19
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 14 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Urban Studies Schools” list. It costs about $18,372 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Urban Studies Report

20
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #20, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 yearly cost to attend U of U is $13,842 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at U of U

21

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $16,134 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Urban Studies Report

22

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 9 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $14,995 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Mankato

23
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #23, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

It costs about $14,698 for urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU Urban Studies Report

24
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon

Portland State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $12,964 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Portland State University

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Urban Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 35 ’s urban studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,929 for Urban Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNLV.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Read more about Urban Studies at UNLV

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