Best Urban Planning Schools Near Chico, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chico, California is home to about 102,032 residents. Median household income is $67,929 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chico, CA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $136,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Chico

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Chico, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chico city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Chico. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 132.4 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 167.3 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 232.5 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 314.4 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 422.0 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 434.7 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Los Angeles, CA 441.5 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,909
Avg net price $43,923/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 441.6 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California urban planning page.

Urban Planning Wages Near Chico

Chico is part of the Chico, CA metro area (BLS area code 17020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $109,610 CA statewide $108,310
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $91,210 Chico, CA $90,128
Surveyors $105,330 CA statewide $104,081
Geographers $114,460 CA statewide $113,103
Social and Community Service Managers $80,470 Chico, CA $79,516
Management Analysts $78,380 Chico, CA $77,451
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $102,780 CA statewide $101,561
Managers, All Other $136,090 Chico, CA $134,476

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Chico at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 102,032 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,929 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 41.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chico-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Chico?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Chico are: Managers, All Other ($136,090), Geographers ($114,460), Urban and Regional Planners ($109,610). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Paradise instead of Chico?

Paradise, CA is 11.1 miles from Chico and has its own set of local urban planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chico an affordable place to study urban planning?

Chico’s median household income of $67,929 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chico while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Urban Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Chico

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chico:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Urban Planning Schools in California (2026)