Program Cost
The university sets new tuition and fee rates each academic year. You can find detailed breakdowns of current tuition and fee rates at cost.illinois.edu.
Program Names
- BAUSP: Urban Studies & Planning
- MUP: Urban Planning – MUP
- Ph.D.: Regional Planning – Ph.D.
Credit Hours
Full-time registration depends upon student level and program. Full-time students are charged a flat rate for credit hours. To get an accurate understanding of costs associated with full-time status, enter the following number of credit hours:
- BAUSP: 12
- MUP: 16
- Ph.D.: 16
Master of Urban Planning - Merit Based Financial Recognition
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning awards more than $400,000 in merit-based financial recognition every year. Materials submitted at the time of application to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning are used to assess merit and to allocate available department funds as well as nominations for campus-level fellowships. To receive priority consideration for these awards, submit your application materials by December 15th. No additional materials are needed beyond the regular MUP program application.
Merit-based financial awards may include:
- College of Fine and Applied Arts Nonresident Scholarships recognizing merit for applicants who are not residents of Illinois at the time of application and reducing the total amount of tuition in each semester in which they are awarded.
- Departmental Scholarships recognizing merit from funds provided by department alumni and donors.
- Departmental Teaching Assistantships for a portion of the program duration that provide a stipend and tuition and partial fee waiver and require work.
- Nomination for Campus Recruitment Fellowships for a portion of the program duration that provide a stipend and tuition and partial fee waiver.
Graduate Assistantships
Most MUP and Ph.D. students are eligible to apply for available Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Graduate Assistant positions. Assistantships include a stipend as well as waiver of tuition and selected fees in the semester in which they are held. The value of a 25% MUP student assistantship (requiring 10 hours of work per week) including tuition and fee waiver for one semester is approximately $24,000, including a stipend of $5,710. We require students holding assistantship positions to meet minimum credit hour requirements for full-time student status, and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Assistantships to MUP students are typically awarded at 25% time (10 hours per week), which assistantships to doctoral students are typically made between 25% and 50% time (10 to 20 hours of work each week of the appointment).
The Department is responsible for allocating Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant positions based upon departmental needs. Each semester, the department typically issues a Request for Qualifications for available TA and GA positions and then hires eligible students from the pool of applicants. Individual faculty are responsible for hiring current students as Research Assistants based upon their needs and available funding. Some students find assistantships through the University’s Assistantship Clearinghouse.
All students applying for assistantships must be in good academic standing and maintain a strong academic record while holding their assistantship. Additional requirements including Graduate College language proficiency requirements may impact eligibility for certain positions.
Regional Planning Ph.D. - Standard Funding Package
Admission to the Regional Planning Ph.D. Program typically includes a financial award package including four years of funding for the fall and spring semesters including a stipend between $25,000 and $28,000 per year. The Department’s standard offer of admission typically includes a mix of Research Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship, and Fellowship funding that is tailored to each student’s needs and progress in the program. The Department also nominates some applicants for competitive campus recruitment fellowships at the time of admission. The Department also welcomes applicants with fellowships from external sources.
While the Regional Planning Ph.D. is designed to be completed in four years, we recognize that some dissertation projects require more extensive fieldwork time for analysis. In those cases where a student who is making adequate progress in the program requires additional time beyond their four-year funding package, they will work with their advisor to identify additional funding or registration options to cover this additional time.
Graduate Need-Based Financial Aid
The Graduate College is responsible for helping graduate students explore options for financial aid and funding. In addition to information on financial assistance for graduate students, the Graduate College maintains a directory of fellowships for graduate study and also supports current students in preparing competitive external fellowship applications.