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Urban Studies and Planning Schools and Programs in The United States

42 schools in The United States teach Urban Studies and Planning.

Urban Studies and Planning Studies in The United States

Urban studies and planning looks at how cities and regions grow and how land, housing, transport and public space can be organised for the people who live there. The American Planning Association describes planning as elected leaders' most effective tool for managing growth and deciding where to invest in transportation, housing and parks. In the United States the subject is taught as an undergraduate major in urban studies, but the main professional degree is a master's in urban or city and regional planning.

How the degrees are organised

  • Bachelor's degrees in urban studies or urban planning, usually four years, sometimes combined with a master's in a 4+1 track
  • Master of Urban Planning (MUP) or Master of City/Regional Planning, the usual entry route to the profession
  • PhD programmes in planning for research and university teaching

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that urban and regional planners typically need a master's degree in urban and regional planning or a related field. Admission to a master's normally requires a bachelor's degree, and programmes usually do not specify a particular undergraduate subject; a background in architecture, social science or business can help. Accredited programmes include coursework such as planning theory, land use law and GIS (geographic information systems), with seminars and workshops in which students work on real planning problems. Many offer concentrations, for example in rural planning or urban revitalisation.

Accreditation

US higher education has no central ministry. EducationUSA explains that institutions are accredited on a national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies. Planning programmes have their own accreditor: the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits university programmes in North America leading to bachelor's and master's degrees in planning, and states that it currently accredits 80 master's and 16 bachelor's programmes at 84 North American universities. The BLS notes that planners typically need a degree from an accredited planning program to enter the occupation, so it is worth checking a programme's PAB status before applying.

Where to study

The schools on this page are spread across the country, with more than one in Cambridge, Denver, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Examples from the schools' own pages:

  • The MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says it is home to the largest urban planning faculty in the United States and offers undergraduate, master's and doctoral programmes
  • The Department of Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning, a Master of Urban Planning, a Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Management and a PhD in Regional Planning, and has taught planning since 1912

Other universities on the list include The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan, The University of California Los Angeles, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University and San Diego State University. Teaching is in English, and planning programmes often use the surrounding city as a case study: Illinois, for instance, points to local planning commissions, city councils and a transit agency that students can work with.

Admission and student visa

For a master's, EducationUSA advises starting the search at least 12 to 18 months before the academic year in which you hope to enrol, and reminds students that no official ranking system exists for US colleges and universities. The academic year typically runs from September to May, in two semesters.

Once accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), you receive a Form I-20 (or DS-2019) from the school's international student office to present when you apply for your visa. The F visa covers study at an accredited college or university.

Careers and certification

According to the BLS, urban and regional planners develop plans and programmes for the use of land and physical facilities in cities, counties and metropolitan areas. They held about 45,800 jobs in 2025, three quarters of them in local government, and employment is projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035. The median annual wage was $89,320 in May 2025. Planners may specialise in transportation planning, community development or historic preservation, and they use GIS and data analysis in their daily work.

Most states do not require planners to be licensed; New Jersey is an exception. Many planners seek certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), which involves an exam and an assessment of professional experience. In 2026 the standard AICP exam costs $305, according to the American Planning Association.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a master's degree to work as an urban planner in the United States?

Usually yes. The BLS says planners typically need a master's degree in urban and regional planning or a related field, although some enter with a bachelor's from an accredited planning programme.

Which bachelor's degree should I have before a planning master's?

Programmes usually do not require a specific subject. According to the BLS, a background in architecture, social science, business or a related field can be useful.

How do I know whether a planning programme is accredited?

The Planning Accreditation Board publishes the bachelor's and master's programmes it accredits in North America. Accreditation matters because employers look for degrees from accredited planning programmes.

Is a licence required to work as a planner?

In most states it is not; New Jersey is the exception named by the BLS. Many planners take the voluntary AICP certification.