Best Urban Planning Schools Near Monroe, NC (2026)

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

Monroe, North Carolina has 1 accredited school offering urban planning programs. Monroe has a population of about 35,596. Median household income is $67,265 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $156,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Monroe

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

Charlotte, NC 22.9 miles from Monroe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 104.6 miles from Monroe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 105.5 miles from Monroe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 184.6 miles from Monroe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Monroe

Monroe is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $83,170 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $85,478
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $72,730 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $74,748
Surveyors $76,710 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $78,839
Geographers N/A NC statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $79,990 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $82,210
Management Analysts $102,920 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $105,776
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $79,330 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $81,531
Managers, All Other $156,020 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $160,349

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.

Monroe at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,596 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,265 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Monroe-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Monroe, NC?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Monroe. The closest is University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC (22.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Charlotte (22.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Monroe are: Managers, All Other ($156,020), Management Analysts ($102,920), Urban and Regional Planners ($83,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Indian Trail instead of Monroe?

Indian Trail, NC is 6.6 miles from Monroe 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 Monroe an affordable place to study urban planning?

Monroe’s median household income of $67,265 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monroe while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Monroe

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

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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