Best Urban Planning Schools Near Akron, OH (2026)

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

Akron, Ohio has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Akron has a population of about 189,526. Median household income is $48,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Akron, OH metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $124,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Akron

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

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 10.4 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 108.0 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH 115.7 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,632
Avg net price $17,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH 201.1 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,076
Avg net price $28,384/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,161
Out‑of‑state$41,221
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH 207.7 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,810
Avg net price $25,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 248

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Akron

Akron is part of the Akron, OH metro area (BLS area code 10420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $82,370 Akron, OH $88,191
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $72,530 Akron, OH $77,655
Surveyors $61,500 Akron, OH $65,846
Geographers N/A OH statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $72,500 Akron, OH $77,623
Management Analysts $86,050 Akron, OH $92,131
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $70,990 OH statewide $76,006
Managers, All Other $124,070 Akron, OH $132,837

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.

Akron at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 189,526 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Akron-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Akron, OH?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Akron. The closest is Kent State University at Kent in Kent, OH (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (93.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Akron are: Managers, All Other ($124,070), Management Analysts ($86,050), Urban and Regional Planners ($82,370). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cuyahoga Falls instead of Akron?

Cuyahoga Falls, OH is 5.8 miles from Akron 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 Akron an affordable place to study urban planning?

Akron’s median household income of $48,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Akron while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Akron

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

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.

Back to Best Urban Planning Schools in Ohio: Online Programs (2026)