Urban & Regional Planning

Types of Degrees Urban & Regional Planning Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many urban and regional planning graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,690
Bachelor’s Degree	847
Doctor’s Degree	96
Graduate Certificate	66
Basic Certificate	27
Undergraduate Certificate	3

What Urban & Regional Planning Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to urban planning were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Urban Planning Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in urban planning should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Urban Planning Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to urban planning:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Urban Planning Majors

As a urban planning major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Urban & Regional Planning Major?

People with a urban planning degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980
Social Sciences Professors	9.8%	$71,600
Urban and Regional Planners	12.8%	$73,050

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban & Regional Planning?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 847 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning in 2019, making it rank #173 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 59% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of urban planning majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	68
Black or African American	56
Hispanic or Latino	142
White	449
International Students	76
Other Races/Ethnicities	56

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Urban Planning, too. About 9.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Canada
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Urban & Regional Planning Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that urban and regional planning students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $33,250 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $31,550 (25th percentile) and $38,425 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in urban planning, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $76,240 to $99,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to urban planning. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Urban & Regional Planning

Some degrees associated with urban planning may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for urban planning careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.2%
Master’s Degree	45.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	6.2%
Doctoral Degree	11.2%

Online Urban & Regional Planning Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 130 schools offered some type of urban and regional planning program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	4	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	25	5
Post-Baccalaureate	4	0
Master’s Degree	98	2
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	26	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in Urban & Regional Planning Worth It?

The median salary for a urban planning grad is $87,950 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 120% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $961,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Urban & Regional Planning

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to urban planning.

Major	Number of Grads
General Architecture	6,145
Architectural Sciences & Technology	5,448
Landscape Architecture	1,177
Environmental Design	717
Interior Architecture	663
Real Estate Development	452
Architecture (Other)	268
Architectural History	154

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Arcaddmarketing under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.