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Real estate broker associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a real estate broker associate. Real estate broker associates usually study business, real estate, or finance. 60% of real estate broker associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,341 real real estate broker associate resumes to see exactly what real estate broker associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for real estate broker associates are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online real estate broker associate courses to help get the education required to be a real estate broker associate.

There are certain real estate broker associate certifications that you should consider. These real estate broker associate certifications include Certified Real Estate Inspector (CRI) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a real estate broker associate?

What degree do you need to be a real estate broker associate?

The most common degree for real estate broker associates is bachelor's degree, with 60% of real estate broker associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a real estate broker associate?

You should major in business to become a real estate broker associate. 26% of real estate broker associates major in business. Other common majors for a real estate broker associate include real estate and finance.

Most common colleges for real estate broker associates

Real estate broker associates often get their degrees at New York University, Colorado State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for real estate broker associates in the US based on their resumes.
Real estate broker associate common collegePercentages
New York University9.09%
Colorado State University8.26%
University of Phoenix7.44%
Cornell University6.61%
University of California - Davis5.79%

Best majors for real estate broker associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Business26.4%
2Real Estate18.6%
3Finance5.6%
4Psychology5.3%
5Accounting5.3%

Best colleges for real estate broker associates

The best colleges for real estate broker associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A real estate broker associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for real estate broker associates. 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 real estate broker associates.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$10,822

Enrollment

42,529

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for real estate broker associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate broker associates

The most affordable schools for real estate broker associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for real estate broker associates 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 real estate broker associates.

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 real estate broker associates

The hardest universities for real estate broker associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for real estate broker associates 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 real estate broker associates 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. 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

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for real estate broker associates

The easiest schools for real estate broker associates 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 real estate broker associate 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 real estate broker associates.

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average real estate broker associate salary by education level

According to our data, real estate broker associates with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,225 annually. Real estate broker associates with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $87,076.
Real estate broker associate education levelReal estate broker associate salary
Master's Degree$89,225
High School Diploma or Less$78,748
Bachelor's Degree$87,076
Doctorate Degree$86,937
Some College/ Associate Degree$79,319

Real estate broker associate 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.