Best Urban Planning Schools Near Charleston, SC (2026)

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

Charleston, South Carolina is home to about 152,014 residents. Median household income is $90,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $136,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Charleston

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

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 209.3 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Charleston

Charleston is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area (BLS area code 16700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $74,840 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $74,099
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $81,190 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $80,386
Surveyors $63,680 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $63,050
Geographers N/A SC statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $79,130 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $78,347
Management Analysts $104,650 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $103,614
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $64,290 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $63,653
Managers, All Other $136,370 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $135,020

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.

Charleston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 152,014 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,038 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Charleston-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Charleston are: Managers, All Other ($136,370), Management Analysts ($104,650), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($81,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hanahan instead of Charleston?

Hanahan, SC is 8.4 miles from Charleston 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 Charleston an affordable place to study urban planning?

Charleston’s median household income of $90,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Charleston

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

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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