City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's urban planning program ranks in the 95th percentile nationally for graduate earnings, but here's the catch: it sits at just the 60th percentile among California's five planning programs. That gap tells you something important—California's urban planning market lifts all boats, so this program's strong national showing reflects the state's robust planning sector as much as the school itself. Still, graduates here do earn slightly more than the state median ($47,832 vs. $46,896 in year one), and the 49% earnings growth over four years suggests solid career progression.

The debt picture is favorable: $18,167 puts graduates in a manageable position with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38, meaning you're borrowing less than half of first-year salary. That's better than the national median debt of $25,237 for planning programs. However, the small sample size here—under 30 graduates—means a few outliers could significantly skew these numbers.

For families weighing this option, the Cal Poly brand and relatively low debt load make this a reasonable choice, especially if your student is drawn to the hands-on learning culture. But don't expect dramatic earnings advantages over other California planning programs—you're paying for a well-regarded education, not a unique financial outcome in the state's market.