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Cheapest City/Urban Colleges in Pennsylvania

Ranked by lowest net price after financial aid. See our methodology.

Pennsylvania's most affordable City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning programs show dramatic cost variations, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania's $17,216 net price to Carnegie Mellon's $31,671. All five programs lead to the same $31,839 median earnings, creating an unusual situation where the cheapest option delivers identical financial outcomes. This field directly supports Pennsylvania's urban development needs, particularly as UPMC and Comcast expand their footprints across Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
5
Programs
$17,216 – $31,671
Net Price Range
$31,839
Avg. Program Earnings
75.8%
Avg. Graduation Rate

5 City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Programs

Program rankings
# School Net Price In-State Tuition Graduation Rate Acceptance Rate
1 $17,216 $11,380 52.4% 91.9%
2 $22,673 $10,687 69.8% 87.9%
3 $25,210 $68,300 89.4% 14.2%
4 $29,219 $22,082 74.7% 79.7%
5 $31,671 $63,829 92.5% 11.3%

Frequently Asked Questions

What explains the identical $31,839 earnings across all five planning programs?

Planning careers in Pennsylvania typically start at similar entry-level salaries regardless of alma mater, with government agencies and consulting firms following standardized pay scales. The field values professional certification and experience over institutional prestige, making the $14,455 cost difference between cheapest and most expensive programs particularly striking.

How do graduation rates vary among Pennsylvania's planning programs?

Carnegie Mellon leads with 92.5% graduation rates while Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduates 52.4% of students. Haverford College, despite its 14.21% acceptance rate, achieves an 89.4% graduation rate, suggesting highly selective admissions translate to strong completion rates in this specialized field.

Does choosing a public university over private make financial sense for planning students?

Public options like Indiana University of Pennsylvania and West Chester University offer net costs under $23,000 while private schools reach $31,671. Given identical career earnings of $31,839, the public route provides better return on investment, saving students over $8,000 in educational costs.

More City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning Rankings

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Net price reflects the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students. See our methodology for details.