Best Urban Planning Schools Near Ithaca, NY (2026)

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

Ithaca, New York has 1 accredited school offering urban planning programs. Ithaca has a population of about 31,792. Median household income is $48,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ithaca, NY metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $115,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Ithaca

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

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 1.0 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Ithaca

Ithaca is part of the Ithaca, NY metro area (BLS area code 27060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $89,630 NY statewide $86,767
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $78,790 Ithaca, NY $76,273
Surveyors $78,870 NY statewide $76,350
Geographers N/A NY statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $81,810 Ithaca, NY $79,197
Management Analysts $89,630 Ithaca, NY $86,767
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $89,290 NY statewide $86,438
Managers, All Other $115,290 Ithaca, NY $111,607

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.

Ithaca at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,792 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,617 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Ithaca-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Ithaca, NY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Ithaca. The closest is Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cornell University (1.0 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Ithaca are: Managers, All Other ($115,290), Urban and Regional Planners ($89,630), Management Analysts ($89,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cortland instead of Ithaca?

Cortland, NY is 19.7 miles from Ithaca 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 Ithaca an affordable place to study urban planning?

Ithaca’s median household income of $48,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ithaca while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Ithaca

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

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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