Best Urban Planning Schools Near Grand Island, NE (2026)

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

Grand Island, Nebraska has 1 accredited school offering urban planning programs. Grand Island has a population of about 52,761. Median household income is $62,439 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Island, NE metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $107,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Grand Island

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

Lincoln, NE 86.9 miles from Grand Island
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,887
Avg net price $17,747/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Grand Island

Grand Island is part of the Grand Island, NE metro area (BLS area code 24260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nebraska statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $74,830 NE statewide $86,309
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $64,040 NE statewide $73,864
Surveyors $68,050 NE statewide $78,489
Geographers N/A NE statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $68,340 Grand Island, NE $78,824
Management Analysts $76,060 Grand Island, NE $87,728
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $81,500 NE statewide $94,002
Managers, All Other $107,610 Grand Island, NE $124,118

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 Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,761 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,439 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Grand Island-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Grand Island, NE?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Grand Island. The closest is University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, NE (86.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Nebraska-Lincoln (86.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Grand Island are: Managers, All Other ($107,610), Cartographers and Photogrammetrists ($81,500), Management Analysts ($76,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Nebraska statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hastings instead of Grand Island?

Hastings, NE is 22.5 miles from Grand Island 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 Island an affordable place to study urban planning?

Grand Island’s median household income of $62,439 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nebraska 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 Island

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

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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