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Real estate developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a real estate developer. Real estate developers usually study business, accounting, or finance. 71% of real estate developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,506 real real estate developer resumes to see exactly what real estate developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for real estate developers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online real estate developer courses to help get the education required to be a real estate developer.
There are certain real estate developer certifications that you should consider. These real estate developer certifications include Certified Real Estate Inspector (CRI) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a real estate developer?
What degree do you need to be a real estate developer?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a real estate developer?
- Business, 28%
- Accounting, 16%
- Finance, 8%
- Real Estate, 6%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for real estate developers
| Real estate developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 8.48% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.67% |
| University of Southern California | 6.67% |
| New York University | 6.06% |
| Arizona State University | 6.06% |
Best majors for real estate developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.4% |
| 2 | Accounting | 15.9% |
| 3 | Finance | 7.7% |
| 4 | Real Estate | 5.6% |
| 5 | Economics | 4.6% |
Best colleges for real estate developers
The best colleges for real estate developers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A real estate developer 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 developers. 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 developers.
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 developers
Advertising disclosure
1. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing
How To Analyze Office and Industrial Real Estate Investments For Smarter Investing...
2. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
3. Real Estate Asset Management 101
Real Estate Asset Management Training From Acquisition, To Ownership, Through Sale For Profitable Real Estate Investing...
4. Intro to Real Estate Development
Learn professional techniques and use investment-grade models to analyze real estate development deals...
5. Real Estate Acquisitions 101
How To Identify Commercial Properties, Run Due Diligence, Raise Capital, and Close Commercial Real Estate Transactions...
6. The Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class
The Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Smarter Real Estate Investing...
7. The Advanced Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class
A Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Commercial Real Estate Investing...
8. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp
The Complete A to Z Guide to Modeling Real Estate Transactions in Microsoft Excel For Smarter Real Estate Investing...
9. Brief Intro to Commercial Real Estate
Learn the essential fundamentals of commercial real estate...
10. The Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp
The Complete Guide To Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling For Real Estate Investment Professionals...
11. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties
Learn how to lease industrial, office, and retail properties with ease...
12. Fundamentals of Analyzing Real Estate Investments
Learn professional investment analysis techniques for real estate investing in residential and commercial properties...
13. Commercial Real Estate Investing 101
The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Apartment, Retail, Office, and Industrial Real Estate Investing...
14. Real Estate Photography Masterclass
A Guide to Equipment, Technique and Workflow for Real Estate Photography...
15. Real Estate Investing: Learn to Fix & Flip , Step by Step!
Real Estate Investing! Learn how to Fix and Flip your first Real Estate Investing deal with no experience...
16. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam Guide
How To Ace Your Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam For Real Estate Investing Careers...
17. Fundamentals of Residential Property Management
Understand the foundation of residential property management as a property manager or landlord...
18. Real Estate Investing: Strategies, Tools & Investing Mindset
Real Estate Investing: Property & market analysis, action plans, tips, negotiation & real estate investing strategies...
19. Mastering Architecture and Real Estate Photography
Start a business photographing real estate photography jobs for architects, builders, and real estate agents...
20. Pre-Investing: Essential Real Estate Investing Concepts
What Future Real Estate Investors MUST Know Before Making Their 1st Investment...
Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate developers
The most affordable schools for real estate developers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for real estate developers 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 developers.
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 developers
The hardest universities for real estate developers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for real estate developers 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 developers 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 developers
The easiest schools for real estate developers 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 developer 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 developers.
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 developer salary by education level
| Real estate developer education level | Real estate developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,318 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $90,394 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,713 |
| Doctorate Degree | $117,454 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $93,122 |
Real estate developer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025