Urban Studies Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Urban Studies major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Sciences, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Sciences, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$71,162

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$106,751

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$136,118

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 2.5%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$2,573,898

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Managers, All Other
SOC: 11-9199
Occupation: Managers, All Other
$136,550
630,980
N/A
N/A
Sociologists
SOC: 19-3041
Occupation: Sociologists
$101,690
2,950
N/A
N/A
Urban and Regional Planners
SOC: 19-3051
Occupation: Urban and Regional Planners
$83,720
43,040
N/A
N/A
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other
SOC: 25-1069
Occupation: Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other
$75,040
17,540
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Urban and Regional Planners

10.2%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$83,72043,040
2023$81,80042,690
2022$79,54039,880
2021$78,50038,940
2020$75,95038,190

Colleges offering Urban Studies

Manhattan College

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$29k

Earnings

$76k

Columbia University in the City of New York

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$21k

Earnings

$97k

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$20k

Earnings

$65k

Rutgers University-Camden

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$19k

Earnings

$65k

University of Connecticut

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$23k

Earnings

$66k