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ScienceBuilt environment / Urban Planning

Urban Planner

Urban planners design, manage and guide the growth of towns and cities — balancing land use, transport, housing and public amenities with sustainability and policy. In India this role spans government planning bodies, consultancy firms, developers and NGOs, and typically requires training in planning, architecture, civil engineering or a specialised M.Plan/M.Urban Planning.

Salary range
₹3.5–25 LPA
Job growth
high
Work type
Office / Field / Hybrid
Paths to entry
3 routes

Actions for your grade

  • Focus on maths, geography and environmental science to build analytical skills.
  • Attend workshops or webinars on urban planning or architecture.
  • Visit local development projects and municipal planning offices to see planning in action.

Your complete path from Grade 10 to Urban Planner

Every step you need — from now to your first job.

Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan) / B.Arch
Arts

Many institutes run their own entrance tests or use NATA/JEE-Main; check institute-specific eligibility for B.Plan vs B.Arch.

  1. Now
    Arts Stream
  2. Exams
    NATA or JEE Main or MHT CET
  3. Degree
    B.Plan (4 yrs) or B.Arch (5 yrs) — undergraduate route into planning and design
  4. Colleges
    School of Planning and Architecture Delhi · Cept University Ahmedabad · Sir J J School of Architecture Mumbai
  5. Career
    Urban Planner
B.Tech (Civil) → M.Plan / M.Tech (Planning)
Science

Civil engineering provides strong technical grounding; many planners come via civil engineering + a specialised master's.

  1. Now
    Science Stream
  2. Exams
    JEE Main or MHT CET or BITSAT
  3. Degree
    B.Tech/B.E (Civil, 4 yrs) followed by M.Plan/M.Tech in Urban/Regional Planning (2 yrs)
  4. Colleges
    IIT Kharagpur · National Institute of Technology Trichy · BITS Pilani
  5. Career
    Urban Planner
Master's in Urban/Regional Planning (Direct postgrad)
Any Stream

Admission criteria vary; some institutes accept applicants from diverse undergraduate backgrounds — check each programme for entrance test requirements.

  1. Now
    Any Stream Stream
  2. Exams
    CUET UG or JEE Main
  3. Degree
    M.Plan / M.Urban Planning (2 yrs) — for graduates from planning, architecture, engineering, geography or social sciences
  4. Colleges
    School of Planning and Architecture Delhi · School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal · Cept University Ahmedabad
  5. Career
    Urban Planner

Entrance exams

ExamEligibilityDifficultyWindow
JEE Main
NTA
Class 12 PCMVery HardJan & Apr
BITSAT
BITS Pilani
Class 12 PCM, 75%+HardMay-Jun
MHT CET
Maharashtra State CET Cell
Class 12 PCM (Maharashtra domicile preferred)MediumApr-May
CUET UG
NTA
Class 12 (any stream)MediumMay-Jun
NATA
Council of Architecture
Class 12 with Maths, 50%+MediumApr, Jun, Jul

Where to Study

Institutes known to offer this career pathway in India.

SPA Delhi
School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
AutonomousNew Delhi, Delhi
JEE MainGATEInstitute entrance
CEPT
CEPT University
State GovtAhmedabad, Gujarat
NATACEPT Entrance ExamCUET
Sir JJ
Sir JJ School of Architecture
State GovtMumbai, Maharashtra
NATAJEE Main
IIT Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Central GovtKharagpur, West Bengal
JEE AdvancedGATEJAM
NIT Trichy
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
Central GovtTiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
JEE MainGATEJAMInstitute entrance
BITS Pilani
BITS Pilani
Deemed UniversityPilani, Rajasthan
BITSAT
SPA Bhopal
School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
Central GovtBhopal, Madhya Pradesh
JEE MainInstitute entrance
Recommendations only — verify eligibility, seat availability, and admission rules from official portals before applying.