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Urban Studies/Affairs Degree

25 schools compared · Average earnings $40,999/yr
Schools Offering
25
Avg Grad Earnings
$40,999/yr
Avg DegreeWorth Score
47/100
AI Automation Risk
High
45% task exposure

Best Schools for Urban Studies/Affairs

Top 25 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA		 73
69–73		 $50,008/yr High 18.5x
2 University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA		 72
66–75		 $58,171/yr High 16.7x
3 California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA		 72
68–74		 $46,826/yr High 23.9x
4 CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY		 69
64–70		 $42,995/yr High 19.1x
5 University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV		 68
65–67		 $46,712/yr High 11.8x
6 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA		 65
62–67		 $47,585/yr High 12.1x
7 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA		 65
62–67		 $47,585/yr High 11.9x
8 Portland State University
Portland, OR		 64
62–63		 $45,870/yr High 9.2x
9 Wayne State University
Detroit, MI		 60
57–62		 $43,811/yr High 9.6x
10 Rutgers University-Camden
Camden, NJ		 58
55–60		 $44,263/yr High 8.0x
11 Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ		 58
55–60		 $44,263/yr High 7.9x
12 Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH		 56
54–57		 $38,929/yr High 8.7x
13 University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA		 55
49–61		 $37,074/yr High 10.7x
14 University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA		 52
47–57		 $34,385/yr High 9.9x
15 Brown University
Providence, RI		 51
47–52		 $48,731/yr High 0.8x
16 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT		 50
45–52		 $34,074/yr High 7.2x
17 University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT		 50
45–52		 $34,074/yr High 7.2x
18 University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT		 50
45–52		 $34,074/yr High 7.2x
19 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT		 50
45–52		 $34,074/yr High 7.2x
20 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA		 49
45–50		 $36,099/yr High 3.2x
21 Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA		 49
45–51		 $33,626/yr High 6.9x
22 University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT		 48
44–51		 $34,074/yr High 6.1x
23 Barnard College
New York, NY		 47
42–50		 $40,294/yr High 1.9x
24 Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY		 45
41–47		 $39,410/yr High 0.5x
25 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN		 45
39–49		 $27,966/yr High 7.5x

Highest Earning Urban Studies/Affairs Programs

Schools where Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score AI Risk
University of California-Berkeley $58,171/yr 72 High
San Francisco State University $50,008/yr 73 High
Brown University $48,731/yr 51 High
University of Washington-Seattle Campus $47,585/yr 65 High
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus $47,585/yr 65 High
California State University-Northridge $46,826/yr 72 High
University of Nevada-Las Vegas $46,712/yr 68 High
Portland State University $45,870/yr 64 High
Rutgers University-Camden $44,263/yr 58 High
Rutgers University-New Brunswick $44,263/yr 58 High

Best ROI for Urban Studies/Affairs

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Urban Studies/Affairs.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
California State University-Northridge 23.9x $46,826/yr 72
CUNY Queens College 19.1x $42,995/yr 69
San Francisco State University 18.5x $50,008/yr 73
University of California-Berkeley 16.7x $58,171/yr 72
University of Washington-Seattle Campus 12.1x $47,585/yr 65
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus 11.9x $47,585/yr 65
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 11.8x $46,712/yr 68
University of California-San Diego 10.7x $37,074/yr 55
University of California-Irvine 9.9x $34,385/yr 52
Wayne State University 9.6x $43,811/yr 60

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

History Political Science and Government Biology, General Fine and Studio Arts Sociology Economics English Language and Literature, General Psychology, General Mathematics Communication and Media Studies Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Anthropology

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn?
Across 25 schools, Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn an average of $40,999 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $27,966 to $58,171 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Urban Studies/Affairs?
Urban Studies/Affairs is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 45% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Urban Studies/Affairs program?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), San Francisco State University ranks #1 for Urban Studies/Affairs with a score of 73/100 and graduate earnings of $50,008/yr.
Is a Urban Studies/Affairs degree worth it?
On average, Urban Studies/Affairs graduates earn 9.3x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

About This Data

This page aggregates Urban Studies/Affairs programs across 25 schools using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI automation risk research from OpenAI and academic institutions.

The DegreeWorth Score (0–100) combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and return on investment. Each school's program page includes three AI scenarios (optimistic, base case, pessimistic) showing how automation could affect 10-year earnings.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.