2026 Best Value Urban Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the urban studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Urban Studies Schools
Leading the list is University Of Missouri Kansas City, our #1 best value for urban studies in the The Plains States Region. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. In-state tuition and fees average $13,371, while out-of-state students pay about $32,271. Students borrow a median of $23,741 to complete the urban studies program here. Urban Studies graduates of University Of Missouri Kansas City earn a median of $60,324 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Minnesota Twin Cities one of the best values for urban studies. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,550 to complete the urban studies program here. Soon after graduation, urban studies degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $27,966. That is a strong return on a $20,550 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Urban Studies](/majors/social-sciences/urban-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
