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Real estate inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a real estate inspector. Real estate inspectors usually study business, real estate, or marketing. 51% of real estate inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 166 real real estate inspector resumes to see exactly what real estate inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for real estate inspectors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a real estate inspector?

What degree do you need to be a real estate inspector?

The most common degree for real estate inspectors is bachelor's degree, with 51% of real estate inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Associate, 23%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a real estate inspector?

You should major in business to become a real estate inspector. 32% of real estate inspectors major in business. Other common majors for a real estate inspector include real estate and marketing.

Most common colleges for real estate inspectors

Real estate inspectors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Texas A&M; University San Antonio, and College of Southern Nevada. Here are the most common colleges for real estate inspectors in the US based on their resumes.
Real estate inspector common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix12.90%
Texas A&M University San Antonio9.68%
College of Southern Nevada6.45%
Metropolitan State University6.45%
West Virginia University6.45%

Best majors for real estate inspectors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.4%
2Real Estate14.9%
3Marketing8.1%
4General Studies5.4%
5Finance4.1%

Best colleges for real estate inspectors

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

A real estate inspector 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 inspectors. 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 inspectors.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

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. The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,049

Enrollment

27,380

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for real estate inspectors

Advertising disclosure

1. Real Estate Acquisitions 101

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3. Brief Intro to Commercial Real Estate

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Learn the essential fundamentals of commercial real estate...

4. Real Estate Photography Masterclass

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A Guide to Equipment, Technique and Workflow for Real Estate Photography...

5. Fundamentals of Analyzing Real Estate Investments

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

6. Commercial Real Estate Investing 101

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The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Apartment, Retail, Office, and Industrial Real Estate Investing...

7. Real Estate Investing: Strategies, Tools & Investing Mindset

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Real Estate Investing: Property & market analysis, action plans, tips, negotiation & real estate investing strategies...

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9. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing

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10. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business

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16. The Advanced Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class

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17. Mastering Architecture and Real Estate Photography

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18. The Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class

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The Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Smarter Real Estate Investing...

19. Pre-Investing: Essential Real Estate Investing Concepts

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What Future Real Estate Investors MUST Know Before Making Their 1st Investment...

20. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties

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Learn how to lease industrial, office, and retail properties with ease...

Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate inspectors

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

If the best universities for real estate inspectors 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 inspectors.

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. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 inspectors

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

Some great schools for real estate inspectors 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 inspectors 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for real estate inspectors

The easiest schools for real estate inspectors 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 inspector 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 inspectors.

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

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. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average real estate inspector salary by education level

According to our data, real estate inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,422 annually. Real estate inspectors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $76,277.
Real estate inspector education levelReal estate inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less$74,903
Bachelor's Degree$78,422
Some College/ Associate Degree$76,277

Real estate inspector 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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