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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (With Aid)

73 Ranked Colleges
1,041 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,475 people earned their degree in urban studies, making the major the 210th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $37,971 and had an average of $24,376 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,041 urban studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 73 colleges that offered 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (With Aid)

#1

Queens College

Queens, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Queens College Urban Studies Report

#2

Hunter College

New York, New York

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #2 spot on the list. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Hunter

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $11,496 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Urban Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Urban Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s urban studies degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

The 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Urban Studies at University of California - Irvine

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 The University of Texas at Austin

University of California - San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #17 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,414 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 CSUN

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 27 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,424 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Urban Studies at UNLV

#4 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s urban studies students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $23,306 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Columbia Urban Studies Report

#12

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s urban studies degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $25,802 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

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

Full University of Pennsylvania Urban Studies Report

#13

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 7 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Saint Cloud State University

#14

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

Read more about Urban Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#15

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Swarthmore College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Swarthmore is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $19,184 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend Swarthmore.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Swarthmore

With a ranking of #16, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at San Diego State University

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

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

Read full report on Urban Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

#19

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 28 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #21 spot in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Urban Studies Report

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,113 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

Full San Francisco State University Urban Studies Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s urban studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $11,473 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies at UM Dearborn

#22

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for Bachelor’s Degree Urban Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Urban Studies Report

#23

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Towson is a large public school situated in Towson, Maryland. It awarded 6 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Towson is $18,233 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Towson

#24

Coppin State University

Baltimore, Maryland

Coppin State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Coppin State University is $11,686 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid.

Full Coppin State University Urban Studies Report

#25

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,040 for bachelor’s degree urban studies students with aid per year to attend Portland State University.

Read full report on Urban Studies at Portland State University

Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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