Best Urban Planning Schools Near Escondido, CA (2026)

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

Escondido, California has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs, with tuition ranging from $7,780 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Escondido has a population of about 149,913. Median household income is $84,477 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $169,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Escondido

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Escondido, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Escondido 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 Escondido. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 24.8 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

#2

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 56.8 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

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

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#3

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 77.0 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

#4

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Los Angeles, CA 91.7 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 92.8 miles from Escondido
  • 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

#6

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 102.0 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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#7

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 113.4 miles from Escondido
  • 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

#8

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 253.6 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Escondido

Escondido is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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 $107,710 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $96,256
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,100 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $94,817
Surveyors $102,210 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $91,340
Geographers $114,460 CA statewide $102,288
Social and Community Service Managers $79,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $71,287
Management Analysts $101,190 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $90,429
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $91,600 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $81,859
Managers, All Other $169,240 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $151,242

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.

Escondido at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,913 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,477 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Escondido-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Escondido, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Escondido. The closest is San Diego State University in San Diego, CA (24.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Southern California (92.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Escondido are: Managers, All Other ($169,240), Geographers ($114,460), Urban and Regional Planners ($107,710). 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 San Marcos instead of Escondido?

San Marcos, CA is 5.9 miles from Escondido 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 Escondido an affordable place to study urban planning?

Escondido’s median household income of $84,477 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Escondido 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 Escondido

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

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.

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