City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at Temple University

A debt load around $25,000 against first-year earnings in the mid-$40s puts Temple's urban planning program squarely in line with what peer institutions across the country typically produce. Based on national data from similar bachelor's programs, graduates can expect to earn roughly what the median planning graduate earns—enough to make the debt manageable, with a ratio of about $0.57 in debt for every dollar earned in year one.

What works in your child's favor here is that planning is a practical field with clear career paths in municipal government, consulting firms, and nonprofits. The $44,000 starting salary isn't glamorous, but it's steady work with room for advancement as planners gain expertise and professional certifications. Temple's location in Philadelphia provides access to a robust municipal planning ecosystem and regional development organizations that actively hire early-career planners.

The caveat: these figures come from comparable programs nationally since Temple's cohort is too small to report separately. The actual outcomes could vary, particularly given Philadelphia's specific job market. But with an accessible admission rate and a manageable debt-to-earnings picture based on peer schools, this program represents a reasonable investment for a student genuinely interested in shaping cities and communities—provided they understand they're entering a public-sector-oriented field where financial rewards accumulate gradually rather than immediately.