Best Urban Planning Schools Near West Des Moines, IA (2026)

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

West Des Moines, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering urban planning programs. West Des Moines has a population of about 69,893. Median household income is $84,925 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $139,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to West Des Moines

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

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 33.4 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near West Des Moines

West Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $85,980 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $93,762
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $81,220 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $88,571
Surveyors $78,860 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $85,998
Geographers N/A IA statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $73,840 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $80,523
Management Analysts $90,730 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $98,942
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $84,570 IA statewide $92,225
Managers, All Other $139,110 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $151,701

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.

West Des Moines at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 69,893 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,925 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other West Des Moines-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near West Des Moines, IA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near West Des Moines. The closest is Iowa State University in Ames, IA (33.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa State University (33.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near West Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near West Des Moines are: Managers, All Other ($139,110), Management Analysts ($90,730), Urban and Regional Planners ($85,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Urbandale instead of West Des Moines?

Urbandale, IA is 6.0 miles from West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines an affordable place to study urban planning?

West Des Moines’s median household income of $84,925 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in West Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 West Des Moines

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for West Des Moines:

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)