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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

$79,135
469
100–72%
$92,083
843
70–31%
$98,909
530
30–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$82,138
488
400–1220
$86,189
803
1230–1400
$112,486
430
1420–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$68,019p10 $113,043p90 Business Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 Menlo College · $87,514 Nichols College · $72,487 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $47,553 Florida International University · $77,587 University of Central Florida · $68,759 University of Maryland, College Park · $90,601 Ohio State University · $92,982 University of Connecticut · $97,356 Virginia Tech · $94,688 University of South Carolina · $85,003 Georgia State University · $61,539 Ball State University · $91,662 Central Michigan University · $83,591 College of Charleston · $77,550 Temple University · $76,806 University of Texas at Arlington · $82,734 Virginia Commonwealth University · $59,636 Miami University - Ohio · $97,273 University of Mississippi · $82,138 University of Illinois Chicago · $77,468 University of North Texas · $77,011 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $67,426 Saint Cloud State University · $72,934 University of Cincinnati · $86,817 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $75,631 University of Texas at San Antonio · $63,830 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $82,847 University of Northern Iowa · $77,074 Kansas State University · $83,935 Villanova University · $123,342 Fordham University · $99,987 Southern Methodist University · $113,043 Texas Christian University · $101,245 University of San Diego · $68,019 Marquette University · $109,262 DePaul University · $84,643 University of Miami · $101,925 Syracuse University · $87,277 George Washington University · $114,424 Drexel University · $89,840 University of Denver · $82,865 Roosevelt University · $68,929 Nova Southeastern University · $83,533 University of Georgia · $90,830 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $122,491 Florida State University · $86,172 University of California, San Diego · $84,170 University of Pennsylvania · $291,774 University of Southern California · $92,817 New York University · $117,670 Tulane University · $90,696 Business: mean $80,001 Public University: mean $78,979 Religious University: mean $99,934 Private University: mean $89,828 Public University 1–15: mean $95,916 Private University 1–30: mean $148,239 All colleges: p10 $68,019 All colleges: p90 $113,043
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% $91,325 96%
Real Estate 45 1,413 68% / 32% 2% $88,931 96%
Real Estate Development 4 183 72% / 28% 4% $86,114 100%
Real Estate and Urban Land Economics 1 140 72% / 28% 1% $122,491 94%
Commercial Real Estate Finance 1 51 82% / 18% 0% $77,550
Real Estate Finance 1 29 72% / 28% 0% $113,043
Real Estate and Urban Analysis 1 28 68% / 32% 0% $92,982 91%