2026 Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools in Texas

[Urban & Regional Planning](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/urban-and-regional-planning/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong urban & regional planning education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for urban & regional planning students.
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2026 Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools in Texas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the urban & regional planning degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Urban & Regional Planning Schools
University Of North Texas earned the #1 spot for value among urban & regional planning schools in Texas. Located in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, with out-of-state students paying around $21,149. Typical student debt for urban & regional planning graduates is $21,817. Urban & Regional Planning graduates of University Of North Texas earn a median of $49,157 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,817 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Prairie View A And M University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in urban & regional planning, landing the #2 spot this year. Prairie View A And M University is a large public school located in the rural area of Prairie View. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,299, with out-of-state students paying around $26,874. Typical student debt for urban & regional planning graduates is $29,824. Soon after graduation, urban & regional planning degree recipients from Prairie View A And M University generally make around $53,784. Set against $29,824 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos is a great value for students pursuing a degree in urban & regional planning, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for urban & regional planning graduates is $26,000. Early-career urban & regional planning graduates make about $47,256. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At Austin earned it the #4 place for urban & regional planning. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $21,275 to complete the urban & regional planning program here. Urban & Regional Planning graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $64,191 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Texas A And M University College Station one of the best values for urban & regional planning. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Urban & Regional Planning graduates carry a median of $21,000 in student loans. Early-career urban & regional planning graduates make about $50,580. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.