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Commercial mortgage broker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a commercial mortgage broker. Commercial mortgage brokers usually study business, finance, or marketing. 71% of commercial mortgage brokers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 468 real commercial mortgage broker resumes to see exactly what commercial mortgage broker education sections show.

The most common colleges for commercial mortgage brokers are the University of Southern California and the University of Southern California.

There are also many online commercial mortgage broker courses to help get the education required to be a commercial mortgage broker.

What education do you need to become a commercial mortgage broker?

What degree do you need to be a commercial mortgage broker?

The most common degree for commercial mortgage brokers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of commercial mortgage brokers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a commercial mortgage broker?

You should major in business to become a commercial mortgage broker. 31% of commercial mortgage brokers major in business. Other common majors for a commercial mortgage broker include finance and marketing.

Most common colleges for commercial mortgage brokers

Commercial mortgage brokers often get their degrees at University of Southern California, Franklin and Marshall College, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for commercial mortgage brokers in the US based on their resumes.
Commercial mortgage broker common collegePercentages
University of Southern California10.45%
Franklin and Marshall College5.97%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.97%
University of Oregon5.97%
Colorado State University5.97%

Best majors for commercial mortgage brokers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business30.6%
2Finance12.0%
3Marketing7.4%
4Real Estate6.6%
5Communication5.8%

Best colleges for commercial mortgage brokers

The best colleges for commercial mortgage brokers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A commercial mortgage broker 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 mortgage brokers. 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 mortgage brokers.

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for commercial mortgage brokers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for commercial mortgage brokers

The most affordable schools for commercial mortgage brokers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for commercial mortgage brokers 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 mortgage brokers.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commercial mortgage brokers

The hardest universities for commercial mortgage brokers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for commercial mortgage brokers 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 mortgage brokers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commercial mortgage brokers

The easiest schools for commercial mortgage brokers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a commercial mortgage broker 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 mortgage brokers.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average commercial mortgage broker salary by education level

Commercial mortgage brokers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $149,792 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, commercial mortgage brokers earn a median annual income of $139,122 compared to $125,274 for commercial mortgage brokers with an Associate degree.
Commercial mortgage broker education levelCommercial mortgage broker salary
Master's Degree$149,792
High School Diploma or Less$124,325
Bachelor's Degree$139,122
Some College/ Associate Degree$125,274

Commercial mortgage broker education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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