Urban Studies/Affairs: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 31 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$104,879 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
17.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−42%Modeled 10-year ROI
$59,596Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$59,596Median reported earnings · year 4
$63,902Average reported earnings · year 5
$21,775Median federal debt
44thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
31Reporting programs
30With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,051
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,596
- Federal debt
- $21,775
- Reporting programs
- 31
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,598
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 7
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$57,342National median$59,59675th percentile$70,207
30 programs report year‑4 earnings.DECISION CHECK
What to compare before choosing a program
The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1New York University$81,1232Barnard College$79,8073University of California, Berkeley$76,1254CUNY Queens College$74,9795Brown University$73,9056University of Pennsylvania$73,1907California State University, Northridge$72,1488University of California, San Diego$71,3809San Francisco State University$70,20710University of Utah$68,928Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All OtherSOC 25-1069 · 1 crosswalk linksSociologistsSOC 19-3041 · 1 crosswalk linksUrban and Regional PlannersSOC 19-3051 · 1 crosswalk links
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $81,123 | Not available | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Barnard CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $79,807 | $19,000 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $76,125 | $14,444 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | CUNY Queens CollegeBachelor's Degree | Queens, NY | $74,979 | $12,201 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $73,905 | $14,000 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $73,190 | Not available | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $72,148 | $13,612 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $71,380 | $17,500 | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $70,207 | $18,600 | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | University of UtahBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $68,928 | Not available | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | University of California, IrvineBachelor's Degree | Irvine, CA | $63,819 | $15,000 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $63,174 | $18,965 | -23% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $63,174 | $18,965 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $62,807 | $20,550 | -28% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Vassar CollegeBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $59,930 | Not available | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Rutgers University-CamdenBachelor's Degree | Camden, NJ | $59,261 | $27,000 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $59,261 | $27,000 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Wayne State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | $58,915 | $25,205 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $58,084 | $26,416 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of Nevada-Las VegasBachelor's Degree | Las Vegas, NV | $58,010 | $30,500 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of ConnecticutBachelor's Degree | Storrs, CT | $57,342 | $23,000 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusBachelor's Degree | Waterbury, CT | $57,342 | $23,000 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointBachelor's Degree | Groton, CT | $57,342 | $23,000 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | University of Connecticut-StamfordBachelor's Degree | Stamford, CT | $57,342 | $23,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $57,342 | $23,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University at AlbanyBachelor's Degree | Albany, NY | $57,150 | Not available | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Cleveland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, OH | $53,582 | $32,083 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $51,378 | Not available | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of Illinois ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $50,202 | $19,916 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Worcester State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $48,387 | Not available | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Portland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | Not available | $36,850 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $9,552 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.