City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 19 reporting college programs.
−$25,689 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
Observed national outcomes
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,514
- Federal debt
- $21,375
- Reporting programs
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,163
- Federal debt
- $25,237
- Reporting programs
- 19
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,958
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 36
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $102,303
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Southern California$106,0942California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$80,8203University of Arizona$76,3604University of Washington-Seattle Campus$73,4135California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$72,7046Michigan State University$71,1587Texas A&M University-College Station$70,5928Rutgers University-New Brunswick$68,7869Arizona State University Campus Immersion$68,16310Arizona State University Digital Immersion$68,163Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $106,094 | Not available | +96% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $80,820 | $18,167 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $76,360 | $25,000 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $73,413 | $17,736 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaBachelor's Degree | Pomona, CA | $72,704 | $15,292 | +23% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $71,158 | Not available | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $70,592 | $21,000 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $68,786 | Not available | -14% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $68,163 | $27,009 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $68,163 | $27,009 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 11 | Florida Atlantic UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $66,093 | $27,653 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $61,173 | $27,000 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $60,699 | $25,464 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Westfield State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Westfield, MA | $59,524 | $23,628 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $57,573 | $25,250 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $55,663 | Not available | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Texas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, TX | $55,625 | $26,000 | -57% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | Not available | $14,275 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,690 |
| 19 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | Not available | $25,237 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,384 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.