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Urban Studies

Instructional content is defined in code 45.1201.

Types of Degrees Urban Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Urban Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	10
Bachelor’s Degree	904
Master’s Degree	394
Doctor’s Degree	35

What Urban Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Urban Studies emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Urban Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Urban Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Urban Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Urban Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Urban Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Urban Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Urban Studies graduates include:

• Science Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Survey Research Teacher
• College Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Survey Research Professor
• Military Science Teacher
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Lecturer
• City Planning Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Urban Planning Professor
• Naval Science Teacher
• Humanities Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Urban Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.8%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.3%
Doctoral degree	6.3%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Some college courses	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
Post-doctoral training	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
First professional degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Urban Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.6% women and 45.4% men among Urban Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	733	54.6%
Men	610	45.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Urban Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	588	43.8%
Asian	138	10.3%
Hispanic or Latino	251	18.7%
Black or African American	167	12.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Two or More Races	77	5.7%
Race Unknown	19	1.4%
International Students	98	7.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Urban Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Urban Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$47,147
4 years	$60,363
5 years	$65,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,763 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Urban Studies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Urban Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	3
Master’s	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Urban Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Urban Studies graduates earn a median of $60,363 four years after completion — roughly 59% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Social Sciences	185,019
Economics	45,628
Political Science and Government	44,942
Sociology	31,380
Social Sciences, General	17,510
International Relations and National Security Studies	13,035
Anthropology	10,768
Criminology	10,365
Geography and Cartography	7,105
Social Sciences, Other	1,942
Sociology and Anthropology	496
Archeology	393

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.