Best Urban Planning Schools Near Socorro, TX (2026)

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

Socorro, Texas is home to about 36,237 residents. Median household income is $52,100 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the El Paso, TX metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $122,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Socorro

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

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 288.4 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,454
Avg net price $19,070/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 475.8 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 120

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 508.2 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX 513.4 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,121
Avg net price $19,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX 540.0 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,199
Avg net price $13,951/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 542.2 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,010
Avg net price $15,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 138

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 590.9 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX 618.2 miles from Socorro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $13,570/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Socorro

Socorro is part of the El Paso, TX metro area (BLS area code 21340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $78,730 El Paso, TX $87,575
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $87,930 El Paso, TX $97,809
Surveyors $51,380 El Paso, TX $57,152
Geographers $79,170 TX statewide $88,065
Social and Community Service Managers $71,500 El Paso, TX $79,533
Management Analysts $75,290 El Paso, TX $83,749
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $73,970 TX statewide $82,280
Managers, All Other $122,930 El Paso, TX $136,741

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.

Socorro at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 36,237 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,100 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 10.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Socorro-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Socorro are: Managers, All Other ($122,930), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($87,930), Geographers ($79,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in El Paso instead of Socorro?

El Paso, TX is 17.6 miles from Socorro 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 Socorro an affordable place to study urban planning?

Socorro’s median household income of $52,100 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Socorro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Socorro

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

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 Texas: Online Programs (2026)