BS City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

City and regional planning students at the Knowlton School are out-of-the-box thinkers who love cities, towns and regions. They are tomorrow’s innovators who care about the quality of life for everyone. They are interested in developing economies at all scales, providing affordable housing, promoting green energy, preserving threatened land, building great public transit, and developing sustainable cities and regions. Great planning creates communities that offer better choices for where and how people live.

Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

The city and regional planning curriculum helps students develop professional competency in the art and science of planning, design, plan implementation, communication, history/theory and professional practice. The program emphasizes practical application of both traditional and evolving knowledge and skills as the foundation for professional competence and individualized enrichment. The first two years of the city and regional planning program provide the foundation for the communication and analytic skills needed for professional practice. Students complete many general education requirements at this time.

Career pathways

The Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning is a professional degree and is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. Graduates are eligible to sit for certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners after three years of professional work experience.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. Upon admission to the university, both new first-year and transfer students interested in city and regional planning are directly admitted to the major. No prior experience or portfolio is required. Current Ohio State students should schedule an advising appointment to discuss the city and regional planning major.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

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