City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at Missouri State University-Springfield

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57 suggests relative balance for a planning degree, though it's worth noting that both the $44,146 salary estimate and the $25,244 debt figure come from similar programs nationally rather than Missouri State's actual outcomes. Planning is a specialized field where entry-level earnings tend to be modest but steady, and this program appears to follow that pattern. The estimated first-year salary sits right at the national median for urban planning bachelor's programs, which typically don't see the wide variation common in fields like business or engineering.

What makes this harder to evaluate is that only two Missouri schools offer this degree, and neither has reported graduate outcomes—meaning you're relying entirely on national patterns to gauge what your child might expect. The actual numbers could be better or worse depending on whether graduates stay in Missouri's smaller planning markets or relocate to cities with more robust demand for urban planners. The 91% admission rate and below-average SAT scores suggest Missouri State serves a broad student base, but without program-specific data, it's unclear whether their planning graduates compete effectively for positions.

If your child is genuinely committed to urban planning and understands the field's public-sector focus and salary realities, the estimated debt level is manageable. But given the complete lack of institutional data, you'd want confirmation that the program has strong regional employer connections and internship placements before committing.