Best Urban Planning Schools Near Mankato, MN (2026)

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

Mankato, Minnesota has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Mankato has a population of about 44,882. Median household income is $64,826 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $152,600 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Mankato

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

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 2.0 miles from Mankato
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,922
Avg net price $19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Mankato

Mankato is part of the Mankato, MN metro area (BLS area code 31860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $97,060 MN statewide $106,659
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $82,350 Mankato, MN $90,495
Surveyors $83,620 MN statewide $91,890
Geographers N/A MN statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $86,630 Mankato, MN $95,198
Management Analysts $77,020 Mankato, MN $84,637
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $99,850 MN statewide $109,725
Managers, All Other $152,600 MN statewide $167,692

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.

Mankato at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,882 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,826 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Mankato-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Mankato, MN?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Mankato. The closest is Minnesota State University-Mankato in Mankato, MN (2.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (66.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Mankato are: Managers, All Other ($152,600), Cartographers and Photogrammetrists ($99,850), Urban and Regional Planners ($97,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Faribault instead of Mankato?

Faribault, MN is 35.7 miles from Mankato 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 Mankato an affordable place to study urban planning?

Mankato’s median household income of $64,826 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mankato while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Mankato

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

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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