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Urban Studies

Types of Degrees Urban Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Urban Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	10
Bachelor’s Degree	904
Master’s Degree	394
Doctor’s Degree	35

What Urban Studies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Urban Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Urban Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Urban Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Urban Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Urban Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Urban Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Urban Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Urban Studies graduates include:

• Family Consumer Science Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• Lecturer
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Survey Research Professor
• Humanities Teacher
• Foreign Service Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• City Planning Teacher
• Survey Research Teacher
• Urban Planning Professor
• Naval Science Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Urban Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.8%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.3%
Doctoral degree	6.3%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Some college courses	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
Post-doctoral training	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
First professional degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Urban Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.6% women and 45.4% men among Urban Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	733	54.6%
Men	610	45.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Urban Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	588	43.8%
Asian	138	10.3%
Hispanic or Latino	251	18.7%
Black or African American	167	12.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Two or More Races	77	5.7%
Race Unknown	19	1.4%
International Students	98	7.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Urban Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Urban Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$47,147
4 years	$60,363
5 years	$65,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,763 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Urban Studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Urban Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	3
Master’s	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Urban Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Urban Studies graduates earn a median of $60,363 four years after completion — roughly 59% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Sciences	45
Anthropology	45.02
Archeology	45.03
Criminology	45.04
Demography	45.05
Economics	45.06
Geography and Anthropology	45.15
Geography and Cartography	45.07
International Relations and National Security Studies	45.09
Political Science and Government	45.10
Rural Sociology	45.14
Social Sciences, General	45.01

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.