City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at Cornell University

Cornell's urban planning program starts graduates at $37,000—well below the $44,000 national median and landing in just the 17th percentile nationally. For a school with an 8% acceptance rate and 1520 average SAT, these initial earnings raise questions about the program's market positioning. The positive twist: New York has only two schools offering this bachelor's degree, and Cornell sits at the state median, suggesting limited in-state alternatives rather than poor performance relative to local peers.

The debt picture offers genuine relief at $14,275, dramatically lower than the $25,000 national median. That 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary—manageable by any standard. Earnings also climb respectably to $58,532 by year four, a 58% jump that suggests the degree opens doors even if the starting point feels modest for an Ivy League credential.

Here's the reality check: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so it may not reflect the typical experience. Urban planning is also a field where many students pursue graduate degrees, and these bachelor's-level numbers might capture people at the early stage of longer career trajectories. If your child is certain about urban planning and graduate school isn't in the immediate plan, the low debt makes this a defensible choice despite the soft start. But if they're weighing this against Cornell's higher-earning majors, the comparison won't favor planning.