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Best Urban Planning Schools Near Rockford, IL (2026)
Rockford, Illinois has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $127,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Urban Planning Schools to Rockford
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Rockford, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rockford city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois urban planning page.
Urban Planning Wages Near Rockford
Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban and Regional Planners | $88,160 | Rockford, IL | $95,618 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $81,590 | IL statewide | $88,492 |
| Surveyors | $75,980 | IL statewide | $82,408 |
| Geographers | $92,640 | IL statewide | $100,477 |
| Social and Community Service Managers | $74,990 | Rockford, IL | $81,334 |
| Management Analysts | $96,430 | Rockford, IL | $104,588 |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | $54,680 | IL statewide | $59,306 |
| Managers, All Other | $127,870 | Rockford, IL | $138,688 |
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.
Rockford at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 147,649 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $53,328 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rockford-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs
- Loves Park, IL – 6.3 mi away (23,413 pop)
- Machesney Park, IL – 7.7 mi away (22,873 pop)
- Belvidere, IL – 10.2 mi away (25,070 pop)
- Beloit, WI – 18.4 mi away (63,470 pop)
- DeKalb, IL – 28.0 mi away (67,501 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited urban planning schools are near Rockford, IL?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Rockford. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI (59.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (82.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Rockford?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Rockford are: Managers, All Other ($127,870), Management Analysts ($96,430), Geographers ($92,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Loves Park instead of Rockford?
Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford 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 Rockford an affordable place to study urban planning?
Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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
- Main Urban Planning degree guide
- Online Urban Planning programs in Illinois
- Urban Planning programs by state
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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.