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Planner Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a planner. Planners usually study business, marketing, or urban planning. 64% of planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 21,203 real planner resumes to see exactly what planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for planners are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online planner courses to help get the education required to be a planner.
There are certain planner certifications that you should consider. These planner certifications include Certified Planning Engineer (CPE) and Certified Planner (AICP).
What education do you need to become a planner?
What degree do you need to be a planner?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a planner?
- Business, 32%
- Marketing, 6%
- Urban Planning, 6%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for planners
Planner Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.18% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.52% |
| Florida State University | 7.04% |
| Arizona State University | 6.07% |
| Ohio State University | 6.07% |
Best majors for planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.1% |
| 2 | Marketing | 6.1% |
| 3 | Urban Planning | 5.6% |
| 4 | Management | 5.2% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.0% |
Best colleges for planners
The best colleges for planners are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A planner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for planners. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become planners.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for planners
The most affordable schools for planners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for planners are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for planners.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for planners
The hardest universities for planners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for planners are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for planners based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for planners
The easiest schools for planners to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a planner without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for planners.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
Average planner salary by education level
| Planner education level | Planner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,745 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,386 |
Planner Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025