Best Urban Planning Schools Near Roanoke, VA (2026)

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

Roanoke, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Roanoke has a population of about 98,677. Median household income is $52,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Roanoke, VA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $133,010 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Roanoke

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

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 25.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 95.2 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Roanoke

Roanoke is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $64,440 Roanoke, VA $68,846
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $75,330 Roanoke, VA $80,481
Surveyors $71,070 VA statewide $75,929
Geographers $108,020 VA statewide $115,406
Social and Community Service Managers $81,440 Roanoke, VA $87,009
Management Analysts $84,220 Roanoke, VA $89,979
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $86,660 VA statewide $92,585
Managers, All Other $133,010 Roanoke, VA $142,105

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.

Roanoke at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 98,677 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,671 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Roanoke-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Roanoke, VA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Roanoke. The closest is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA (25.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Virginia-Main Campus (95.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Roanoke are: Managers, All Other ($133,010), Geographers ($108,020), Cartographers and Photogrammetrists ($86,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Salem instead of Roanoke?

Salem, VA is 5.4 miles from Roanoke 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 Roanoke an affordable place to study urban planning?

Roanoke’s median household income of $52,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Roanoke while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Roanoke

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

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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