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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

$82,264
473
100–72%
$100,235
860
70–41%
$100,585
511
34–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$85,806
496
400–1220
$92,970
803
1230–1400
$118,517
430
1420–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$71,647p10 $113,429p90 STEM, Business & Military Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Menlo College · $85,056 Nichols College · $70,713 University of Georgia · $103,119 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $142,833 University of Central Florida · $73,730 University of Maryland, College Park · $113,672 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $71,165 Ohio State University · $82,886 University of Connecticut · $96,601 Virginia Tech · $101,248 University of South Carolina · $99,598 Georgia State University · $78,758 Florida International University · $70,012 Ball State University · $91,658 College of Charleston · $71,647 Miami University - Ohio · $106,692 University of Illinois Chicago · $79,457 University of Texas at Arlington · $76,810 University of North Texas · $78,238 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $78,464 Saint Cloud State University · $77,380 Temple University · $76,855 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $80,037 University of Cincinnati · $83,245 Cleveland State University · $76,594 Central Michigan University · $78,976 University of Texas at San Antonio · $69,710 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $84,830 Virginia Commonwealth University · $75,154 University of Northern Iowa · $95,034 Kansas State University · $88,657 University of Mississippi · $82,138 Southern Methodist University · $90,899 Texas Christian University · $104,508 University of San Diego · $83,526 Fordham University · $104,594 Marquette University · $128,197 DePaul University · $97,610 George Washington University · $107,663 Syracuse University · $105,715 Drexel University · $95,973 University of Denver · $91,472 Roosevelt University · $75,793 Nova Southeastern University · $76,064 Florida State University · $86,155 University of California, San Diego · $64,630 Villanova University · $153,895 University of Southern California · $113,429 Tulane University · $108,737 University of Miami · $104,359 University of Pennsylvania · $291,960 New York University · $81,829 STEM, Business & Military: mean $77,885 Public University: mean $86,173 Religious University: mean $101,556 Private University: mean $92,113 20–30%: mean $101,560 10–20%: mean $108,842 0–10%: mean $186,895 All colleges: p10 $71,647 All colleges: p90 $113,429
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Real Estate 53 1,844 69% / 31% 2% $96,335 94%
Real Estate 45 1,413 68% / 32% 2% $94,375 94%
Real Estate Development 4 183 72% / 28% 4% $85,695 94%
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics 1 140 72% / 28% 1% $142,833 96%
Commercial Real Estate Finance 1 51 82% / 18% 0% $71,647
Real Estate Finance 1 29 72% / 28% 0% $90,899
Real Estate and Urban Analysis 1 28 68% / 32% 0% $82,886 100%