# Real Estate

> A program that prepares individuals to develop, buy, sell, appraise, and manage real estate. Includes instruction in land use development policy, real estate law, real estate marketing procedures, agency management, brokerage, property inspection and appraisal, real estate investing, leased and rental properties, commercial real estate, and property management.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/real-estate
- CIP code: 52.15 (Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services)
- Colleges offering it: 144 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 144 | $42,521 | $46,206 | $11,875 |
| Associate's | 99 | not reported | $43,411 | $20,074 |
| Bachelor's | 66 | $61,645 | $82,246 | $19,970 |
| Master's | 44 | $100,594 | $147,770 | $47,314 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 31 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Villanova University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/villanova-university-3127) | Villanova, PA | $131,911 | $27,000 |
| [New York University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-york-university-nyu-1866) | New York, NY | $130,716 | $13,598 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Madison, WI | $120,483 | $15,000 |
| [Texas Christian University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-christian-university-tcu-2701) | Fort Worth, TX | $103,547 | $21,225 |
| [Marquette University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/marquette-university-1598) | Milwaukee, WI | $99,583 | $23,374 |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Blacksburg, VA | $95,576 | $19,573 |
| [Ohio State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ohio-state-university-main-campus-2000) | Columbus, OH | $91,213 | $19,500 |
| [Syracuse University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/syracuse-university-2667) | Syracuse, NY | $90,764 | $20,500 |
| [University of Denver](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-denver-2906) | Denver, CO | $87,026 | not reported |
| [University of South Carolina-Columbia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-south-carolina-columbia-main-campus-3042) | Columbia, SC | $84,558 | $20,367 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Real Estate Brokers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/real-estate-brokers): $73,220 median pay
- [Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/property-real-estate-and-community-association-managers): $69,990 median pay
- [Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/appraisers-and-assessors-of-real-estate): $67,960 median pay
- [Appraisers of Personal and Business Property](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/appraisers-of-personal-and-business-property): $67,960 median pay
- [Real Estate Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/real-estate-sales-agents): $52,830 median pay

## More in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

- [Business Administration, Management and Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/business-administration-management-and-operations): 1,495 colleges
- [Accounting and Related Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/accounting-and-related-services): 1,096 colleges
- [Marketing](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/marketing): 820 colleges
- [Finance and Financial Management Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/finance-and-financial-management-services): 730 colleges
- [Business Operations Support and Assistant Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/business-operations-support-and-assistant-services): 669 colleges
- [Business/Commerce, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/business-commerce-general): 523 colleges
- [Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/entrepreneurial-and-small-business-operations): 520 colleges
- [International Business](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/international-business): 426 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/