Best Urban Planning Schools Near Auburn, WA (2026)

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

Auburn, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs. Auburn has a population of about 85,455. Median household income is $95,367 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $168,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Auburn

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

Tacoma, WA 11.4 miles from Auburn
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 24.7 miles from Auburn
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 216.8 miles from Auburn
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,897
Avg net price $13,886/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,586
Out‑of‑state$25,959
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 113

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Urban Planning Wages Near Auburn

Auburn is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $108,040 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $97,246
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $102,980 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $92,691
Surveyors $85,610 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $77,057
Geographers $112,260 WA statewide $101,044
Social and Community Service Managers $106,400 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $95,770
Management Analysts $126,340 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $113,717
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $100,080 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $90,081
Managers, All Other $168,980 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $152,097

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.

Auburn at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 85,455 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $95,367 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Auburn-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Auburn, WA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Auburn. The closest is University of Washington-Tacoma Campus in Tacoma, WA (11.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Seattle Campus (24.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Auburn are: Managers, All Other ($168,980), Management Analysts ($126,340), Geographers ($112,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kent instead of Auburn?

Kent, WA is 5.9 miles from Auburn 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 Auburn an affordable place to study urban planning?

Auburn’s median household income of $95,367 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Auburn while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Auburn

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

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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