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Commercial appraiser education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a commercial appraiser. Commercial appraisers usually study business, real estate, or finance. 75% of commercial appraisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 304 real commercial appraiser resumes to see exactly what commercial appraiser education sections show.
The most common colleges for commercial appraisers are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online commercial appraiser courses to help get the education required to be a commercial appraiser.
What education do you need to become a commercial appraiser?
What degree do you need to be a commercial appraiser?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a commercial appraiser?
- Business, 29%
- Real Estate, 20%
- Finance, 13%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for commercial appraisers
| Commercial appraiser common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 8.70% |
| Texas A&M University | 8.70% |
| Ohio State University | 6.52% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.52% |
| Arizona State University | 4.35% |
Best majors for commercial appraisers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.6% |
| 2 | Real Estate | 19.6% |
| 3 | Finance | 13.1% |
| 4 | Accounting | 6.0% |
| 5 | Economics | 4.2% |
Best colleges for commercial appraisers
The best colleges for commercial appraisers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A commercial appraiser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for commercial appraisers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become commercial appraisers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$11,778
Enrollment
11,156
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for commercial appraisers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for commercial appraisers
The most affordable schools for commercial appraisers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for commercial appraisers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for commercial appraisers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commercial appraisers
The hardest universities for commercial appraisers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for commercial appraisers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for commercial appraisers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commercial appraisers
The easiest schools for commercial appraisers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a commercial appraiser without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for commercial appraisers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average commercial appraiser salary by education level
| Commercial appraiser education level | Commercial appraiser salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,695 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,395 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,971 |
Commercial appraiser education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025