Best Schools for Urban Studies/Affairs
Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn a median of $63,187 within four years of graduating, ranking #162 out of 283 tracked majors — 1% above the median across all fields. There are 35 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 727 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: New York University graduates earn $81,123 while Worcester State University graduates earn $48,387 — a $32,736 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Urban Studies/Affairs graduates see an average -3% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Urban Studies/Affairs
Private schools produce $12,484 more in early earnings on average for Urban Studies/Affairs graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Urban Studies/Affairs by State
Top Urban Studies/Affairs Schools by Graduate Earnings
New York University
New York, NY · Private
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · Public
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · Private
Rutgers University-Camden
Camden, NJ · Public
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA · Public
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Public
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public
University at Albany
Albany, NY · Public
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH · Public
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · Public
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA · Public
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · Public
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · Public
Trinity University
San Antonio, TX · Private
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA · Private
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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