Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Urban Studies Major

Find Schools Near

Urban Studies

1,051 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
351 Master's Degrees Annually
#163 in Popularity
$87,950 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Urban Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many urban studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 1,051
Master’s Degree 351
Graduate Certificate 57
Doctor’s Degree 24
Basic Certificate 13
Associate Degree 11

What Urban Studies Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to urban studies and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Urban Studies Majors

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

undefined
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Urban Studies Majors

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

undefined
  • 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.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Urban Studies Majors

As you progress with your urban studies degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

undefined
  • 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 Studies Major?

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

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Compliance Managers 8.0% $107,480
Investment Fund Managers 8.0% $107,480
Regulatory Affairs Managers 8.0% $107,480
Social Sciences Professors 9.8% $71,600
Urban and Regional Planners 12.8% $73,050

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies?

1,051 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
55% Percent Women
50% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,051 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies in 2021, making it rank #163 in popularity. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 55% of the graduates are women, and 45% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 96
Black or African American 136
Hispanic or Latino 226
White 452
International Students 57
Other Races/Ethnicities 84

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Urban Studies. About 5.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • India
  • Canada
  • Hong Kong

How Much Do Urban Studies Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of urban studies students with a bachelor’s degree is $35,454 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $24,467 (25th percentile) and $41,543 (75th percentile).

undefined

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to urban studies.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $76,240 to $90,290 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to urban studies. 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.

Median Salary for an Urban Studies Major  ( 76240 to 90290 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some careers associated with urban studies require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to urban studies have obtained the following education levels.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 1.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 1.2%
Some College Courses 0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.7%
Bachelor’s Degree 35.3%
Master’s Degree 42.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.1%
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. 2.6%
Doctoral Degree 14.1%

Online Urban Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 130 schools offered a urban studies program of some type. 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) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 2 0
Bachelor’s Degree 14 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 38 1
Post-Master’s 6 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 11 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Urban Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a urban studies 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!

undefined

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

Major Number of Grads
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Criminology 11,039
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 88

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.