by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 38 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Urban Studies Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,453 degrees in urban studies to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of urban studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Urban Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Urban Studies Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The schools below may not offer all types of urban studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
Any student pursuing a degree in urban studies has to take a look at Harvard University. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.More information about a degree in urban studies from Harvard University
It is difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a degree in urban studies. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were roughly 21 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in urban studies from University of Pennsylvania
Every student who is interested in urban studies has to take a look at Brown University. Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.
There were approximately 18 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Urban Studies degree recipients from Brown University get an earnings boost of around $2,082 above the average income of urban studies graduates.
More information about a degree in urban studies from Brown University
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in urban studies. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 87 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in urban studies from University of Southern California
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 11 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in urban studies from Virginia Tech
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 27 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Urban Studies degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of about $11,522 over the average earnings of urban studies graduates.
More information about a degree in urban studies from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were approximately 14 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in urban studies from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 34 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the urban studies program make an average of $40,294 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in urban studies from Barnard College
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 31 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in urban studies from New York University
Trinity Bantams is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Hartford. This college ranks 4th out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
There were approximately 25 urban studies students who graduated with this degree at Trinity Bantams in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in urban studies from Trinity CollegeView the Best Urban Studies Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Urban Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 1,453 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 47,809 |
| Political Science & Government | 47,686 |
| Sociology | 35,816 |
| General Social Sciences | 17,338 |
| International Relations & National Security | 13,958 |
| Anthropology | 11,105 |
| Geography & Cartography | 8,281 |
| Other Social Sciences | 2,116 |
| Sociology & Anthropology | 520 |
| Archeology | 333 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
