Best Urban Planning Schools Near Fresno, CA (2026)

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

Fresno, California has 1 accredited school offering urban planning programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Fresno has a population of about 543,615. Median household income is $66,804 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Fresno, CA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $128,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Fresno

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Fresno, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fresno 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 Fresno. 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

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 3.3 miles from Fresno
  • 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

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Fresno

Fresno is part of the Fresno, CA metro area (BLS area code 23420). 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 $105,330 Fresno, CA $103,063
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $97,040 Fresno, CA $94,951
Surveyors $107,230 Fresno, CA $104,922
Geographers $114,460 CA statewide $111,996
Social and Community Service Managers $78,910 Fresno, CA $77,211
Management Analysts $84,200 Fresno, CA $82,387
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $102,780 CA statewide $100,568
Managers, All Other $128,510 Fresno, CA $125,744

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.

Fresno at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 543,615 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,804 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fresno-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Fresno. The closest is California State University-Fresno in Fresno, CA (3.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Fresno (3.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Fresno are: Managers, All Other ($128,510), Geographers ($114,460), Surveyors ($107,230). 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 Clovis instead of Fresno?

Clovis, CA is 6.7 miles from Fresno 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 Fresno an affordable place to study urban planning?

Fresno’s median household income of $66,804 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fresno 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 Fresno

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

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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