Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Urban planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an urban planner. Urban planners usually study urban planning, architecture, or geography. 64% of urban planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 568 real urban planner resumes to see exactly what urban planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for urban planners are the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania.
There are also many online urban planner courses to help get the education required to be an urban planner.
There are certain urban planner certifications that you should consider. These urban planner certifications include Certified Urban Designer (CUD) and Certified Planner (AICP).
What education do you need to become an urban planner?
What degree do you need to be an urban planner?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 30%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an urban planner?
- Urban Planning, 43%
- Architecture, 9%
- Geography, 8%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for urban planners
| Urban planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | 6.98% |
| University of Iowa | 6.98% |
| Arizona State University | 5.81% |
| University of Washington | 5.81% |
| University of Cincinnati | 5.81% |
Best majors for urban planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Planning | 43.4% |
| 2 | Architecture | 9.5% |
| 3 | Geography | 8.0% |
| 4 | Political Science | 5.2% |
| 5 | Landscape Architecture | 4.6% |
Best colleges for urban planners
The best colleges for urban planners are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An urban 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 urban 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 urban 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 Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
20 best online courses for urban planners
Advertising disclosure
1. Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems
Learn about the three phases of the urban value chain: planning, governance and regeneration. With lecturers from all around the world and concrete case studies, this course will give you a comprehensive overview about the “Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems”. This course has assembled some of the most relevant experiences and knowledge from our Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems (IGLUS) Executive Master’s program, which has been offered by EPFL during the past 5 years...
2. Planning for Climate Change in African Cities
Climate change poses a threat to economic growth and long-term prosperity of many countries around the world. Africa is not an exception, considering the actual and potential impacts of climate change and climate variability that will threaten its vulnerable sectors and human populations. African countries are projected to experience changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, and higher temperatures that will affect food security, agricultural production, water availability, and public...
3. The Ultimate Guide to Professional Event Planning Management
Learn techniques to become an amazing event planner. You'll get all the skills you need for event management & planning...
4. Strategic Planning Skills
Strategic Planning Skills...
5. Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research
Welcome! Are you looking to learn more about how to conduct scientific research, specifically in an urban or local context? Then you have found the right course: Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. During the course you will gain more insight in the different steps of the research cycle, and build a firm foundation for your own future research endeavors. Before any (urban)...
6. Sustainable Urban Water Systems
The MOOC “Sustainable Urban Water Systems” aims to provide knowledge about modern and sustainable solutions for urban water management in water-sensitive cities. The focus is on stormwater control and water supply strategies for the mitigation of effects on the water cycles due to human settlements and climate change. In particular, the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into urban drainage systems, the use of alternative water resources, and the reduction of losses and waste, make...
7. Project Planning with Advanced Roadmaps for Jira
Learn JIRA's project planning and agile road-mapping tool with a real-world project...
8. Complete Primavera P6 training; Project Planning
Master project planning and scheduling with Primavera P6 (Basic & Advance)...
9. Advanced Planning & Scheduling with Primavera P6
Learn advanced planning & scheduling concepts, and apply them using Primavera P6 and MS Excel...
10. Strong & Effective Marketing Plan (Plan Template & Example)
Innovative approach for a winning offline and digital marketing plan (important part of your business plan)...
11. Business Plan: Outlines , Templates & Case Study
Learn Business Planning & Lean Thinking to develop a Complete Business Plan...
12. How To Write A Simple And Successful Business Plan
Learn how to effectively write a simple and successful business plan that attracts attention. (template included)...
13. The Complete Business Plan Course (Includes 50 Templates)
Everything You Need to Make a Great Business Plan by an Award Winning Business School Prof, VC & Successful Entrepreneur...
14. Learn Risk Management: Risk Planning in Agile and Scrum
Complete Risk Management and Risk Planning Training: Identify Project Risks, Create Risk Plan and Monitor Risks in Scrum...
15. Strategic Planning Basics for Human Resources
Learn to collaborate with your organizational leaders on the development and implementation of a strategic plan...
16. Primavera P6 Complete Course of Project Planning 2022
Complete course from program inception to reporting...
17. Maintenance Planning Basics
Understanding maintenance planning basics of successful maintenance department...
18. Financial Planning Coaching Certification Holistic Coaching
Financial Planning Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Professionals in Holistic Financial Planning Coaching...
19. How To Write A Business Plan And A Winning Business Model
Business plan template & business plan examples: Create a top business model & business plan for your business ideas...
20. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management
Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...
Top 10 most affordable universities for urban planners
The most affordable schools for urban planners are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for urban 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 urban planners.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. 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
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for urban planners
The hardest universities for urban planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for urban 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 urban 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for urban planners
The easiest schools for urban planners to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and portland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an urban 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 urban planners.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average urban planner salary by education level
| Urban planner education level | Urban planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $66,854 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,590 |
Urban planner education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for urban planner jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025