City planner education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a city planner?

You need a bachelor's degree in urban planning to be a city planner. A major in geography would also be acceptable. It is also a good idea to get a minor in one of several relevant fields. Minors in areas such as political science, civil engineering, and architecture are just a few of the options. It is important to ensure that you attend an accredited program that will allow you to sit for certification with the American Institute of Certified Planners. This certification can be done with a bachelor's degree after three years of on-the-job work experience. Most city planners would suggest you pursue your master's degree to build your knowledge base. Without a master's degree, it is likely that you will be required to have several years of experience with a professional before being able to advance yourself. A city planner is required to have the expertise and skills to plan and design public living spaces. While doing so they take into consideration the community, sustainability, culture, and preservation of the area. City planners must be specially trained and educated to meet all of these aspects of city planning.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a city planner. City planners usually study urban planning, geography, or business. 62% of city planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 468 real city planner resumes to see exactly what city planner education sections show.

The most common colleges for city planners are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

There are also many online city planner courses to help get the education required to be a city planner.

There are certain city planner certifications that you should consider. These city planner certifications include Certified Planning Engineer (CPE) and Certified Urban Designer (CUD).

What education do you need to become a city planner?

What degree do you need to be a city planner?

The most common degree for city planners is bachelor's degree, with 62% of city planners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 30% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Master's, 30%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a city planner?

You should major in urban planning to become a city planner. 32% of city planners major in urban planning. Other common majors for a city planner include geography and business.

Urban Planning, 32%

Geography, 8%

Business, 7%

Political Science, 7%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for city planners

City planners often get their degrees at Florida State University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Akron. Here are the most common colleges for city planners in the US based on their resumes.

City planner common college	Percentages
Florida State University	8.33%
University of Cincinnati	7.14%
University of Akron	5.95%
University of California, Berkeley	5.95%
University of Southern Mississippi	5.95%

Show more common city planner colleges

Best majors for city planners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Urban Planning	31.9%
2	Geography	8.1%
3	Business	7.4%
4	Political Science	7.4%
5	Public Administration	6.3%

Show more common city planner majors

Best colleges for city planners

The best colleges for city planners are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A city planner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for city planners. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become city planners.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for city planners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for city planners

The most affordable schools for city planners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for city planners are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for city planners.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for city planners

The hardest universities for city planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for city planners are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for city planners based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for city planners

The easiest schools for city planners to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a city planner without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for city planners.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average city planner salary by education level

According to our data, city planners with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $66,084 annually. City planners with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $62,854.

City planner education level	City planner salary
Master's Degree	$66,084
Bachelor's Degree	$62,854

City planner education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a city planner?

What is the best college for City Planners?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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