Best Urban Planning Schools Near Grand Rapids, MI (2026)

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

Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to about 197,768 residents. Median household income is $65,526 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $128,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Grand Rapids

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

Ann Arbor, MI 108.5 miles from Grand Rapids
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,648
Avg net price $13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 206

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI 114.2 miles from Grand Rapids
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,793
Avg net price $15,407/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, MI 126.7 miles from Grand Rapids
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,151
Avg net price $32,918/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, MI 130.6 miles from Grand Rapids
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,795
Avg net price $660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI 137.9 miles from Grand Rapids
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,493
Avg net price $12,766/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 160

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is part of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area (BLS area code 24340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $80,140 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $83,916
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $79,060 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $82,785
Surveyors $76,130 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $79,717
Geographers N/A MI statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $84,280 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $88,251
Management Analysts $81,710 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $85,560
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $75,090 MI statewide $78,628
Managers, All Other $128,910 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $134,984

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.

Grand Rapids at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 197,768 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,526 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 40.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Grand Rapids-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Grand Rapids?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Grand Rapids are: Managers, All Other ($128,910), Social and Community Service Managers ($84,280), Management Analysts ($81,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Walker instead of Grand Rapids?

Walker, MI is 4.8 miles from Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids an affordable place to study urban planning?

Grand Rapids’s median household income of $65,526 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Rapids while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Grand Rapids

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

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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