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Architecture · Urban & Regional Planning Rank #6 of 15

Urban & Regional Planningat Texas State University

Graduates earn $47,256/yr in their first year — about 12.0% above the national Urban & Regional Planning average. Base-case 10-year earnings $560K; scenarios range from $528K to $565K depending on AI disruption.

San Marcos, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
52 AVERAGE
53
Optimistic
54
Pessimistic
Earnings
$47,256
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$560K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
43% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Texas State University

Texas State's strength in planning comes from its strategic location in the heart of the booming Austin-San Antonio corridor. This region is a living laboratory of rapid suburban development, infrastructure challenges, and resource management debates, giving your studies immediate real-world relevance. You'll find graduates working for fast-growing municipalities like Round Rock and New Braunfels, for regional planning commissions, and for private land development consultants who are shaping Central Texas. The program's reputation means local employers actively recruit from it, creating a direct pipeline to jobs where you'll tackle everything from zoning proposals to transportation logistics. To maximize this advantage, your key move is to secure an internship with a city planning department or a private firm in the Austin metro area. This hands-on experience will be the most valuable line on your resume.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$528K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple11.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$560K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple12.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$565K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple12.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Texas State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Urban & Regional Planning graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$101,480/yr
Moderate
3
Urban and regional planners
+3.4% 10-yr growth · 3,400 openings/yr
$83,720/yr
Moderate
4
Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$75,040/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Urban & Regional Planning

How Texas State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Texas A & M University-College Station
TX · Public
56
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
11.5x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
47
DW Score
$48K
1-yr earn
9.8x
ROI
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
AZ · Public
53
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
11.7x
ROI
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
OH · Public
43
DW Score
$46K
1-yr earn
7.5x
ROI
Top score
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public
61
DW Score
$46K
1-yr earn
23.0x
ROI
Also at Texas State University

Other top programs at Texas State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Texas 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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Urban & Regional Planning at Texas State University

How does Texas State University's Urban & Regional Planning program score?

This program scores 52/100, 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.