Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

RANKED #3 according to the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs.

The School supports a wide variety of educational activities, from undergraduate and master's and doctoral degree programs to continuing education courses and conferences for professionals and alumni. The core purpose of all our educational programs is to enhance students' understanding of the theories, methods, and practice of planning and public policy. The School's educational programs encourage open discussion of all viewpoints, the application of quantitative methods for analysis, the careful study of history, and a thorough consideration of economic and demographic trends and political institutions and processes.

The Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) degree is generally recognized as the professional degree in the field. The M.C.R.P. program prepares students for practice in planning as well as policy and program development through a curriculum designed to develop an understanding of the linkages between the social, economic, and political factors of urban society and the physical and environmental framework of regions and communities. 

Six issue-oriented concentrations, or specialties, reflect the strengths of the faculty in the urban planning and policy development program. These concentrations cover areas of strength within the school: community development and housing; design and development/redevelopment; environmental, human health and land use planning; international development; transportation policy and planning; and urban informatics.

Students can also develop their own concentrations by utilizing the many courses available at Rutgers including landscape architecture; agricultural, food, and resource economics; ecology, evolution, and natural resources; environmental sciences; and geography.