Best Urban Planning Schools Near Wichita, KS (2026)

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

Wichita, Kansas is home to about 396,488 residents. Median household income is $63,072 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wichita, KS metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $131,710 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Wichita

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

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 111.5 miles from Wichita
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 143.5 miles from Wichita
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Wichita

Wichita is part of the Wichita, KS metro area (BLS area code 48620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $75,290 Wichita, KS $84,691
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $81,180 Wichita, KS $91,316
Surveyors $71,750 Wichita, KS $80,709
Geographers N/A KS statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $76,200 Wichita, KS $85,714
Management Analysts $82,390 Wichita, KS $92,677
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists N/A KS statewide –
Managers, All Other $131,710 Wichita, KS $148,155

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.

Wichita at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 396,488 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,072 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wichita-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Wichita are: Managers, All Other ($131,710), Management Analysts ($82,390), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($81,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Derby instead of Wichita?

Derby, KS is 10.4 miles from Wichita 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 Wichita an affordable place to study urban planning?

Wichita’s median household income of $63,072 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wichita while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Wichita

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

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 Kansas: Online Programs (2026)