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Real estate broker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a real estate broker. Real estate brokers usually study business, real estate, or accounting. 65% of real estate brokers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 11,600 real real estate broker resumes to see exactly what real estate broker education sections show.
The most common colleges for real estate brokers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online real estate broker courses to help get the education required to be a real estate broker.
There are certain real estate broker certifications that you should consider. These real estate broker certifications include Certified Real Estate Inspector (CRI) and Graduate - Realtor Institute (GRI).
What education do you need to become a real estate broker?
What degree do you need to be a real estate broker?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a real estate broker?
- Business, 31%
- Real Estate, 16%
- Accounting, 6%
- Finance, 6%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for real estate brokers
| Real estate broker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.09% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 7.57% |
| University of Washington | 7.35% |
| DePaul University | 5.92% |
| Portland State University | 5.59% |
Best majors for real estate brokers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 30.5% |
| 2 | Real Estate | 16.3% |
| 3 | Accounting | 6.2% |
| 4 | Finance | 5.6% |
| 5 | Marketing | 4.8% |
Best colleges for real estate brokers
The best colleges for real estate brokers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A real estate 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 real estate 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 real estate brokers.
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 brokers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate brokers
The most affordable schools for real estate brokers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for real estate 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 real estate 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. 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 brokers
The hardest universities for real estate brokers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for real estate 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 real estate 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. 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 brokers
The easiest schools for real estate brokers 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 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 brokers.
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 salary by education level
| Real estate broker education level | Real estate broker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,126 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $75,288 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,678 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,519 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $75,927 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025