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Transit planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a transit planner. Transit planners usually study urban planning, business, or geography. 70% of transit planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 113 real transit planner resumes to see exactly what transit planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for transit planners are the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas.
There are also many online transit planner courses to help get the education required to be a transit planner.
What education do you need to become a transit planner?
What degree do you need to be a transit planner?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a transit planner?
- Urban Planning, 17%
- Business, 13%
- Geography, 13%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for transit planners
| Transit planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Kansas | 12.90% |
| Xavier University | 6.45% |
| Alabama A & M University | 6.45% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.45% |
| San Francisco State University | 6.45% |
Best majors for transit planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Planning | 16.9% |
| 2 | Business | 12.7% |
| 3 | Geography | 12.7% |
| 4 | Political Science | 7.0% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 5.6% |
Best colleges for transit planners
The best colleges for transit planners are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A transit 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 transit 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 transit 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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for transit planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for transit planners
The most affordable schools for transit planners are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for transit 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 transit planners.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. 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
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for transit planners
The hardest universities for transit planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for transit 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 transit 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
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for transit planners
The easiest schools for transit planners to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a transit 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 transit planners.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average transit planner salary by education level
| Transit planner education level | Transit planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,123 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,803 |
Transit planner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025