Best Urban Planning Schools Near Sanford, ME (2026)

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

Sanford, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Sanford has a population of about 22,095. Median household income is $70,570 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $135,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Sanford

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

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 29.3 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,958
Avg net price $13,596/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Unity Environmental University

New Gloucester, ME 41.6 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,852
Avg net price $19,104/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 38%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Sanford

Sanford is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (BLS area code 38860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $81,930 Portland-South Portland, ME $80,402
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $75,340 Portland-South Portland, ME $73,935
Surveyors $88,880 Portland-South Portland, ME $87,223
Geographers N/A ME statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $74,650 Portland-South Portland, ME $73,258
Management Analysts $75,530 Portland-South Portland, ME $74,122
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $78,670 ME statewide $77,203
Managers, All Other $135,130 Portland-South Portland, ME $132,610

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.

Sanford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 22,095 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,570 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sanford-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Sanford, ME?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Sanford. The closest is University of New Hampshire-Main Campus in Durham, NH (21.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Harvard University (74.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Sanford are: Managers, All Other ($135,130), Surveyors ($88,880), Urban and Regional Planners ($81,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maine statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rochester instead of Sanford?

Rochester, NH is 14.1 miles from Sanford 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 Sanford an affordable place to study urban planning?

Sanford’s median household income of $70,570 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sanford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maine 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 Sanford

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

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 Maine: Online Programs (2026)