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Most Popular Schools for Urban Studies

2026 Most Popular Urban Studies Schools

There are 123 colleges that offer a degree in Urban Studies. Learn more about the most popular schools below:

Finding the Best Urban Studies School for You

With all the Urban Studies programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you’re no longer limited to schools in your local area.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 123 schools in the United States offering Urban Studies programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Urban Studies Schools.

#1

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY

The most popular school in the United States for Urban Studies students is CUNY Hunter College. CUNY Hunter College is a public school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 101 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $46,228. Read full report on Urban Studies at CUNY Hunter College

University of California-Irvine landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. University of California-Irvine is a public school located in Irvine, CA. This school awarded 71 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,474. Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California-Irvine

Virginia Commonwealth University comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school located in Richmond, VA. This school awarded 55 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,934. Full Urban Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University Report

University of California-San Diego comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. University of California-San Diego is a public school located in La Jolla, CA. This school awarded 54 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $44,612. Full Urban Studies at University of California-San Diego Report

#5

New York University

New York, NY

New York University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. New York University is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 38 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,956. Full Urban Studies at New York University Report

#6

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY

CUNY Queens College comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Queens, NY, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 37 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,467. Full Urban Studies at CUNY Queens College Report

Portland State University landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Portland, OR, this is a public institution. This school awarded 37 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,313. Full Urban Studies at Portland State University Report

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. University of Washington-Tacoma Campus is a public school located in Tacoma, WA. This school awarded 37 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,990. Full Urban Studies at University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Report

#9

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

University of Utah landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, this is a public institution. This school awarded 34 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $52,685. Read More…

#10

Barnard College

New York, NY

Barnard College landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Barnard College is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 31 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,946. Full Urban Studies at Barnard College Report

California State University-Northridge landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Northridge, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 29 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $36,905. Read More…

#12

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Cleveland, OH, this is a public institution. This school awarded 28 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $43,332. Full Urban Studies at Cleveland State University Report

#13

Brown University

Providence, RI

Brown University comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Brown University is a private nonprofit school located in Providence, RI. This school awarded 26 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,042. Full Urban Studies at Brown University Report

University of California-Berkeley comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 26 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read full report on Urban Studies at University of California-Berkeley

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Blacksburg, VA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 26 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,604. Full Urban Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Report

#16

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA

Georgia State University comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Atlanta, GA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 24 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $37,719. Full Urban Studies at Georgia State University Report

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

San Diego State University landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in San Diego, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 24 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,235. Full Urban Studies at San Diego State University Report

The University of Texas at Austin comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Austin, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 24 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,060. Read More…

CUNY Graduate School and University Center comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. CUNY Graduate School and University Center is a public school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 22 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $74,063. Read More…

#20

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Tufts University landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Tufts University is a private nonprofit school located in Medford, MA. This school awarded 22 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $63,641. Read full report on Urban Studies at Tufts University

University of Nevada-Las Vegas comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Las Vegas, NV, this is a public institution. This school awarded 22 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,201. Full Urban Studies at University of Nevada-Las Vegas Report

University of Southern California comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 21 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read More…

#23

Fordham University

Bronx, NY

Fordham University landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Bronx, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 20 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,779. Read full report on Urban Studies at Fordham University

#24

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking. Located in Philadelphia, PA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 20 degrees in Urban Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $86,069. Read full report on Urban Studies at University of Pennsylvania

University of Connecticut comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Urban Studies majors. Located in Storrs, CT, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 19 people earned their degree in Urban Studies from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,816. Read full report on Urban Studies at University of Connecticut

#27

Trinity College

Hartford, CT
#29

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC
#30

University at Albany

Albany, NY
#32

Stanford University

Stanford, CA
#33

University of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA
#34

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY
#36

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#37

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA
#38

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI
#39

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA
#40

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ
#41

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA
#43

Boston University

Boston, MA
#45

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA
#47

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA
#48

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, VA
#49

University of Delaware

Newark, DE
#50

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.

Rank College Location
51 University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC
52 Haverford College Haverford, PA
53 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
54 CUNY Stella and Charles Guttman Community College New York, NY
55 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
56 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
57 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
58 Tennessee State University Nashville, TN
59 University of Georgia Athens, GA
60 Boise State University Boise, ID
61 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
62 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
63 Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH
64 Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN
65 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
66 The New School New York, NY
67 Towson University Towson, MD
68 University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI
69 Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO
70 Wheaton College Wheaton, IL
71 Furman University Greenville, SC
72 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
73 SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY
74 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
75 Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ
76 CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
77 Dillard University New Orleans, LA
78 Manhattan University Riverdale, NY
79 Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ
80 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
81 Albright College Reading, PA
82 California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA
83 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
84 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
85 Harris-Stowe State University Saint Louis, MO
86 Lipscomb University Nashville, TN
87 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
88 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
89 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
90 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
91 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
92 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
93 Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH
94 Aquinas College Grand Rapids, MI
95 Biola University La Mirada, CA
96 CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
97 CUNY City College New York, NY
98 Canisius University Buffalo, NY
99 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
100 Coppin State University Baltimore, MD
101 DePaul University Chicago, IL
102 Eastern University Saint Davids, PA
103 Hampshire College Amherst, MA
104 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
105 Long Island University Brookville, NY
106 Monroe Community College Rochester, NY
107 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
108 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
109 Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH
110 Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH
111 Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH
112 Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH
113 Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH
114 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
115 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
116 Saint Peter’s University Jersey City, NJ
117 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
118 Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI
119 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
120 The College of Wooster Wooster, OH
121 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
122 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
123 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH

Urban Studies by Region

View the Most Popular Urban Studies Schools ranking for a specific region near you.

Region
New England
Middle Atlantic
Great Lakes
Plains States
Southeast
Southwest
Rocky Mountains
Far Western US

More Urban Studies Rankings

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Urban Studies Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Urban Studies Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Urban Studies/Affairs 1,343
Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 45,628
Political Science & Government 44,942
Sociology 31,380
General Social Sciences 17,510
International Relations & Security 13,035

References

*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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