News

PAB accreditation indicates that the Program has undergone an external review and substantially meets the PAB standards and criteria. Programs granted accreditation demonstrated conformity with PAB standards after a thorough review from the Board. PAB bases its decisions on the overall quality of the program, its performance relative to its mission and strategic plan, and its performance relative to PAB’s 5 standards, which encompass a total of 29 criteria and 9 curriculum sub-criteria. When PAB determines that a Program does not fully meet a criterion or curriculum sub-criterion, the Program is encouraged to take steps to improve in that area and provide information to PAB on its efforts, either during the next accreditation review or in an interim progress report.

Additional detail on the accreditation actions can be found within the Accredited Planning Programs directory. Please note, the information presented below and within the directory is a summary. Please consult the school directly for in-depth information regarding programs, course offerings, and compliance with PAB standards. Programs should also be consulted directly for additional information on issues and areas of improvement identified during an accreditation review, and the actions that the school is taking to address these areas.

At its April 26-27, 2026 meeting, PAB made the following accreditation decisions:

Appalachian State University
Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Planning
The Board granted the Program a 5-year initial accreditation term, through December 31, 2031. Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

Georgia Institute of Technology
Master of City and Regional Planning
The Board granted the Program a 5-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2031. Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

Harvard University
Master in Urban Planning
The Board granted the Program a 5-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2031. Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

Michigan State University
Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning, and Master in Urban and Regional Planning  
The Board granted the Program a 7-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2033.

Northeastern University
Master of Science in Urban Planning and Policy
The Board granted the Program a 5-year initial accreditation term, through December 31, 2031. Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

Rowan University
Bachelor of Science in Community and Environmental Planning
The Board granted the Program a 5-year initial accreditation term, through December 31, 2031. Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning, and Master of Urban Planning  
The Board granted the Program a 5-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2031.  Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

University of Illinois, Chicago
Master of Urban Planning and Policy
The Board granted the Program a 5-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2031.  Progress Report by July 1, 2029 to be submitted by Program.

University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Master of Regional Planning
The Board granted the Program a 7-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2033.

University of Pennsylvania
Master of City Planning
The Board granted the Program a 7-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2033.

Wayne State University
Master of Urban Planning
The Board granted the Program a 7-year accreditation term, through December 31, 2033.

PAB Newsletter

• APA Salary Survey Takeaways
• Accreditation Demystified
• Welcome New Board Member
• Summary of Recent Actions
• News from Our Partners

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