# Urban Studies/Affairs

> A program that focuses on the application of social science principles to the study of urban institutions and the forces influencing urban social and political life. Includes instruction in urban theory, the development and evolution of urban areas, urban sociology, principles of urban and social planning, and the politics and economics of urban government and services.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/urban-studies-affairs
- CIP code: 45.12 (Social Sciences)
- Colleges offering it: 102 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 6 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 3 | not reported | $46,051 | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 102 | $46,233 | $62,990 | $17,899 |
| Master's | 39 | $74,877 | $86,446 | $37,021 |
| Doctoral | 14 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| First professional | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 23 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [New York University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | New York, NY | $81,123 | not reported |
| [Barnard College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/barnard-college-181) | New York, NY | $79,807 | $13,192 |
| [University of California-Berkeley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Berkeley, CA | $76,125 | not reported |
| [CUNY Queens College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-queens-college-746) | Queens, NY | $74,979 | not reported |
| [Brown University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brown-university-314) | Providence, RI | $73,905 | not reported |
| [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Philadelphia, PA | $73,190 | not reported |
| [California State University-Northridge](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-northridge-csun-374) | Northridge, CA | $72,148 | not reported |
| [University of California-San Diego](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-san-diego-ucsd-2887) | La Jolla, CA | $71,380 | $8,351 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | San Francisco, CA | $70,207 | not reported |
| [University of California-Irvine](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-irvine-uci-2883) | Irvine, CA | $63,819 | $12,750 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brownfield-redevelopment-specialists-and-site-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Compliance Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Loss Prevention Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loss-prevention-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Managers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/managers-all-other): $141,900 median pay
- [Regulatory Affairs Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/regulatory-affairs-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-development-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Operations Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-operations-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Sociologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sociologists): $106,030 median pay
- [Urban and Regional Planners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/urban-and-regional-planners): $89,320 median pay
- [Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-sciences-teachers-postsecondary-all-other): $72,990 median pay

## More in Social Sciences

- [Political Science and Government](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/political-science-and-government): 1,087 colleges
- [Sociology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/sociology): 944 colleges
- [Economics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/economics): 767 colleges
- [Anthropology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/anthropology): 455 colleges
- [International Relations and National Security Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/international-relations-and-national-security-studies): 366 colleges
- [Social Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-sciences-general): 317 colleges
- [Geography and Cartography](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/geography-and-cartography): 293 colleges
- [Criminology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/criminology): 220 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/