Best Urban programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan.
25 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 334 people a year. The job pays a median of $80,810 in Pennsylvania across about 860 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
3 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 30.3301In Pennsylvania → | 227 | 68.0% | 18 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 2 | Urban Studies/Affairsmain feeder CIP 45.1201In Pennsylvania → | 58 | 17.4% | 5 | $40,294 | $21,775 |
| 3 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planningmain feeder CIP 04.0301In Pennsylvania → | 49 | 14.7% | 7 | $42,824 | $25,237 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 25 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 101 | Sustainability Studies | $40,485 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 2 | Allegheny College Meadville, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Sustainability Studies | — | 73% | $18,524 | 55% |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 34 | Urban Studies/Affairs | — | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 4 | Chatham University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Sustainability Studies | $18,954 | 63% | $23,700 | 62% |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | 75% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Sustainability Studies | — | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 7 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Sustainability Studies | $59,456 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 9 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Urban Studies/Affairs | — | 82% | $19,073 | 29% |
| 10 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Sustainability Studies | — | 82% | $23,111 | 72% |
| 11 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 12 | Haverford College Haverford, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Urban Studies/Affairs | — | 90% | $17,179 | 12% |
| 13 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Sustainability Studies | — | 56% | — | 87% |
| 14 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Sustainability Studies | $25,169 | 66% | — | 71% |
| 15 | Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Sustainability Studies | — | 63% | $27,082 | 91% |
| 16 | Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Sustainability Studies | — | 24% | — | — |
| 17 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 75% | $25,675 | 79% |
| 18 | Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 69% | $26,034 | 81% |
| 19 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | 56% | — | 91% |
| 20 | York College of Pennsylvania York, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Sustainability Studies | — | 64% | $18,682 | 74% |
| 21 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Urban Studies/Affairs | — | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 22 | Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | 28% | — | — |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University - World Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Sustainability Studies | $59,456 | 34% | — | 91% |
| 24 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Sustainability Studies | — | 92% | $18,174 | 7% |
| 25 | Wilson College Chambersburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Sustainability Studies | — | 48% | $18,586 | 92% |
All 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 101 | 3 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 1 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 34 | 2 |
| Chatham University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 16 | 2 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester | Public | 15 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Muhlenberg College | Allentown | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| Villanova University | Villanova | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| Haverford College | Haverford | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Slippery Rock | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Wilkes University | Wilkes-Barre | Private not-for-profit | 6 | 1 |
What urban and regional planners earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $89,320. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Urban and Regional Planners page.
How to become a Urban
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Urban and Regional Planners7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 04.0301City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
- 04.0403Sustainable Design/Architecture
- 04.1001Real Estate Development
- 30.3301Sustainability Studies
- 30.3701Design for Human Health
- 44.0403Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- 45.1201Urban Studies/Affairs
Common questions
Answers for people weighing urban and regional planners programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become an Urban?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Sustainability Studies, which awarded 227 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 68.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Urban?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Sustainability Studies, Urban Studies/Affairs, City/Urban. Together they graduate about 334 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do urban and regional planners earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $80,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.5% below the U.S. median of $89,320. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for urban and regional planners growing?+
BLS projects a +3.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 3,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
25 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do urban and regional planners work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Planner, Planning Consultant, Planning Technician, Community Development Planner among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-3051.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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