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Best Schools for Urban Studies/Affairs in 2026

25 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Urban Studies/Affairs, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Urban Studies/Affairs graduate earns $40,999/yr across 25 schools.

Programs Ranked
25
Avg Earnings
$40,999/yr
Avg DW Score
46/100
AI Risk
High
45% task exposure

All Urban Studies/Affairs Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public 		69
65–69 		$58,171/yr 16.7x
2 California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public 		64
60–64 		$46,826/yr 23.9x
3 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public 		60
56–61 		$50,008/yr 18.5x
4 CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · Public 		58
55–58 		$42,995/yr 19.1x
5 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public 		57
54–58 		$47,585/yr 12.1x
6 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public 		57
54–58 		$47,585/yr 11.9x
7 Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public 		51
48–52 		$43,811/yr 9.6x
8 University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA · Public 		50
49–50 		$37,074/yr 10.7x
9 University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Public 		50
46–50 		$46,712/yr 11.8x
10 Rutgers University-Camden
Camden, NJ · Public 		50
47–50 		$44,263/yr 8.0x
11 Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public 		50
46–50 		$44,263/yr 7.9x
12 Portland State University
Portland, OR · Public 		47
44–48 		$45,870/yr 9.2x
13 University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public 		44
44–45 		$34,385/yr 9.9x
14 Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH · Public 		42
40–43 		$38,929/yr 8.7x
15 Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofit 		40
37–41 		$48,731/yr 0.8x
16 Barnard College
New York, NY · Private nonprofit 		39
37–40 		$40,294/yr 1.9x
17 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public 		39
39–40 		$34,074/yr 7.2x
18 University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public 		39
39–40 		$34,074/yr 7.2x
19 University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public 		39
39–40 		$34,074/yr 7.2x
20 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public 		39
39–40 		$34,074/yr 7.2x
21 University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public 		38
38–39 		$34,074/yr 6.1x
22 Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA · Public 		37
36–37 		$33,626/yr 6.9x
23 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public 		35
34–36 		$36,099/yr 3.2x
24 Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · Private nonprofit 		34
32–35 		$39,410/yr 0.5x
25 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public 		33
34–34 		$27,966/yr 7.5x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Urban Studies/Affairs?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, University of California-Berkeley ranks #1 for Urban Studies/Affairs with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $58,171/yr.
How much do Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn?
Across 25 schools, Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn an average of $40,999/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $58,171/yr.
Is Urban Studies/Affairs a good major for AI resistance?
Urban Studies/Affairs has an average AI task exposure of 45%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.