City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 04.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 263 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 13 | 58 | $54,074 | $58,742 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 55 | 669 | $51,962 | $66,874 | $19,179 12 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 7 | 0 | $65,753 | Data unavailable | $22,164 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 118 | 1,433 | $67,681 | $79,665 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 28 | 75 | $83,848 | $92,533 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | $102,323 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 41 | 127 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $59,601 | $80,820 | $18,500 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 60 graduates measured | $58,938 | $72,704 | $19,250 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $56,418 | $70,592 | $19,000 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 174 graduates measured | $55,101 | $68,163 | $24,251 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 174 graduates measured | $55,101 | $68,163 | $24,251 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 18 graduates measured | $55,065 | $60,699 | $27,000 |
| Florida Atlantic University FL · Public · 17 graduates measured | $53,697 | $66,093 | Data unavailable |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 50 graduates measured | $52,994 | $76,360 | $20,021 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 49 graduates measured | $51,746 | $57,573 | $19,108 |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $49,560 | $61,173 | $24,980 |
| Temple University PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $48,637 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $45,487 | $55,625 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $44,465 | $73,413 | $13,495 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $94,890 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $89,910 | $100,130 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $85,714 | $93,415 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $82,625 | $106,674 | Data unavailable |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $82,512 | $86,756 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $82,068 | $80,847 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 76 graduates measured | $81,075 | $90,541 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $78,524 | $88,656 | Data unavailable |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $77,986 | $90,339 | Data unavailable |
| Wayne State University MI · Public · 41 graduates measured | $75,064 | $81,363 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $74,978 | $85,467 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $74,978 | $85,467 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 49 graduates measured | $73,951 | $82,613 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $72,694 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $72,052 | $84,226 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Urban and regional planners | $89,320 | +3.9% | Master's degree |
| Architecture teachers, postsecondary | $96,870 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | $72,990 | +1.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 04.0301 City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning