Licensed appraiser education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a licensed appraiser. Licensed appraisers usually study business, real estate, or marketing. 56% of licensed appraisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 234 real licensed appraiser resumes to see exactly what licensed appraiser education sections show.

The most common colleges for licensed appraisers are the University of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati.

There are also many online licensed appraiser courses to help get the education required to be a licensed appraiser.

What education do you need to become a licensed appraiser?

What degree do you need to be a licensed appraiser?

The most common degree for licensed appraisers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of licensed appraisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 8%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a licensed appraiser?

You should major in business to become a licensed appraiser. 27% of licensed appraisers major in business. Other common majors for a licensed appraiser include real estate and marketing.

Business, 27%

Real Estate, 14%

Marketing, 12%

Liberal Arts, 6%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for licensed appraisers

Licensed appraisers often get their degrees at University of Cincinnati, Brigham Young University, and Southern Connecticut State University. Here are the most common colleges for licensed appraisers in the US based on their resumes.

Licensed appraiser common college	Percentages
University of Cincinnati	9.09%
Brigham Young University	9.09%
Southern Connecticut State University	6.06%
Gulf Coast State College	6.06%
Oakland University	6.06%

Show more common licensed appraiser colleges

Best majors for licensed appraisers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.8%
2	Real Estate	14.3%
3	Marketing	11.6%
4	Liberal Arts	6.3%
5	Finance	4.5%

Show more common licensed appraiser majors

Best colleges for licensed appraisers

The best colleges for licensed appraisers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed 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. University of Maryland - Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$11,778

Enrollment

11,156

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

20 best online courses for licensed appraisers

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Learn Financial Analysis & Value Investing strategies for beginners to advanced investors investing in stock market...

15. Investment Appraisal Mastery - NPV, IRR, Payback, PI, ARR

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Become a PRO at Investment Appraisal / Capital Budgeting including the Net Present Value & Beyond Finance Fundamentals...

16. Fundamentals of Analyzing Real Estate Investments

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Learn professional investment analysis techniques for real estate investing in residential and commercial properties...

17. Market Analytics: Become a Data-Driven Marketing Expert

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18. Brief Intro to Commercial Real Estate

4.5

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Learn the essential fundamentals of commercial real estate...

19. Licensed Digital Marketing Master™ with IIDM certification

4.2

(480)

Foundations of Digital Marketing...

20. Value Investing: The Complete Financial Statement Analysis

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Top 10 most affordable universities for licensed appraisers

The most affordable schools for licensed appraisers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for licensed 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 licensed 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for licensed appraisers

The hardest universities for licensed appraisers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for licensed 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 licensed 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for licensed appraisers

The easiest schools for licensed appraisers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a licensed 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 licensed appraisers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average licensed appraiser salary by education level

Licensed appraisers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $47,904 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, licensed appraisers earn a median annual income of $46,345 compared to $40,706 for licensed appraisers with an High School Diploma degree.

Licensed appraiser education level	Licensed appraiser salary
High School Diploma or Less	$40,706
Bachelor's Degree	$46,345
Some College/ Associate Degree	$47,904

Licensed appraiser education FAQs

What is the best college for Licensed Appraisers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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