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Real Estate

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Real estate majors learn how property gets financed, valued, developed, and traded. The major sits where finance meets the built environment, covering real estate finance and investment, valuation and appraisal, market and feasibility analysis, development, urban economics, and property law. Coursework is quantitative—discounted cash flow, cap rates, mortgage math, and pro forma modeling—paired with case studies of real deals.

Many programs run student-managed investment funds, development case competitions, and internships with brokerages, developers, REITs, and lenders, where you'll underwrite actual properties before you graduate.

What you'll do after college

Graduates work across commercial and residential real estate as acquisitions and development analysts, brokers, appraisers, mortgage and investment professionals, property and asset managers, and consultants at developers, brokerages, banks, REITs, and private-equity firms. Some move into urban planning or public-sector development; others strike out as entrepreneurial investors and developers.

The work is deal-driven and cyclical, rising and falling with interest rates and the broader economy—but the upside is high, with pay often weighted toward commissions, bonuses, and ownership stakes. It rewards both financial chops and the relationships that get deals done.

Famous graduates

  • Stephen M. Ross — Founder of Related Companies and developer of Hudson Yards; owner of the Miami Dolphins; B.B.A. from the University of Michigan, whose business school bears his name
  • Donald Bren — Chairman of the Irvine Company and one of America's wealthiest real estate developers; B.A. in business administration and economics from the University of Washington

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$76,090
382
100–72%
$90,237
817
70–30%
$109,528
309
30–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$71,261
303
400–1240
$86,918
740
1240–1370
$124,229
302
1400–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$68,260p10 $105,685p90 Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–25 Private University 21–40 Private University 1–20 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $51,968 Florida International University · $77,595 University of Connecticut · $97,853 University of South Carolina · $82,867 Georgia State University · $60,878 Ball State University · $84,934 Central Michigan University · $80,192 Temple University · $77,707 University of Northern Iowa · $69,867 University of Texas at Arlington · $79,070 Virginia Commonwealth University · $59,504 College of Charleston · $74,909 Miami University - Ohio · $92,341 University of Mississippi · $71,460 University of Illinois Chicago · $76,386 University of North Texas · $77,169 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $68,260 Saint Cloud State University · $69,496 University of Cincinnati · $80,944 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $68,498 University of Texas at San Antonio · $61,561 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $78,388 Pennsylvania Western University · $65,154 Kansas State University · $69,776 Villanova University · $124,789 Fordham University · $96,370 Southern Methodist University · $105,685 Texas Christian University · $101,476 University of San Diego · $76,483 Marquette University · $104,942 DePaul University · $85,784 Syracuse University · $88,949 Menlo College · $95,561 Drexel University · $89,677 Nichols College · $76,179 University of Denver · $85,285 Nova Southeastern University · $85,250 University of Georgia · $87,821 University of Maryland, College Park · $98,375 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $119,949 Florida State University · $85,275 University of Central Florida · $70,622 Virginia Tech · $93,664 University of California, San Diego · $89,839 Ohio State University · $89,863 New York University · $128,102 University of Southern California · $105,146 University of Miami · $99,358 Tulane University · $90,454 George Washington University · $115,426 University of Pennsylvania · $295,198 Public University: mean $74,032 Religious University: mean $99,361 Private University: mean $86,817 Public University 1–25: mean $91,926 Private University 21–40: mean $107,697 Private University 1–20: mean $295,198 All colleges: p10 $68,260 All colleges: p90 $105,685
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Real Estate 52 1,508 70% / 30% 2% $90,639 96%
Real Estate 44 1,214 70% / 30% 3% $88,393 96%
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics 1 105 68% / 32% 0% $119,949 94%
Real Estate Development 4 73 74% / 26% 3% $87,503 100%
Real Estate and Urban Analysis 1 48 69% / 31% 0% $89,863 91%
Commercial Real Estate Finance 1 36 69% / 31% 0% $74,909
Real Estate Finance 1 32 75% / 25% 0% $105,685