Urban & Regional Planningat Iowa State University
Graduates earn $44,146/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Urban & Regional Planning average. Base-case 10-year earnings $609K; scenarios range from $568K to $618K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Iowa State University
While the earnings data looks solid, your real advantage at Iowa State comes from its deep roots in the region. As a land-grant university, its planning program is deeply connected to the needs of Midwestern cities and towns. You won't just study abstract theory; you'll engage with the practical challenges of places like Des Moines and Ames, focusing on issues like main street revitalization, agricultural land use, and sustainable community development. This hands-on, place-based approach makes graduates highly sought after by municipal governments and regional consulting firms across the Midwest who know ISU produces practical, ready-to-work planners.
To maximize this, your key action is to aggressively pursue local internships. The connections you build with city planning departments or firms in Iowa while you're a student are the most direct path to a strong-starting career right after graduation.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Iowa State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Urban & Regional Planning
How Iowa State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Iowa State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Iowa State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Urban & Regional Planning offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Urban & Regional Planning trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Urban & Regional Planning at Iowa State University
How does Iowa State University's Urban & Regional Planning program score?
This program scores 53/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Urban & Regional Planning graduates.
How vulnerable is Urban & Regional Planning to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Urban & Regional Planning careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 34% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.