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Real estate investor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a real estate investor. Real estate investors usually study business, finance, or accounting. 64% of real estate investors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,562 real real estate investor resumes to see exactly what real estate investor education sections show.
The most common colleges for real estate investors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online real estate investor courses to help get the education required to be a real estate investor.
What education do you need to become a real estate investor?
What degree do you need to be a real estate investor?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a real estate investor?
- Business, 36%
- Finance, 8%
- Accounting, 7%
- Real Estate, 6%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for real estate investors
| Real estate investor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.60% |
| Arizona State University | 7.95% |
| University of South Florida | 6.62% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.96% |
| New York University | 5.30% |
Best majors for real estate investors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 36.4% |
| 2 | Finance | 8.3% |
| 3 | Accounting | 6.7% |
| 4 | Real Estate | 5.7% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.8% |
Best colleges for real estate investors
The best colleges for real estate investors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A real estate investor 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 investors. 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 investors.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
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. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for real estate investors
Advertising disclosure
1. Real Estate Asset Management 101
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2. Real Estate Investing: Strategies, Tools & Investing Mindset
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3. Real Estate Acquisitions 101
How To Identify Commercial Properties, Run Due Diligence, Raise Capital, and Close Commercial Real Estate Transactions...
4. Fundamentals of Analyzing Real Estate Investments
Learn professional investment analysis techniques for real estate investing in residential and commercial properties...
5. Effectively Lease Commercial Real Estate Properties
Learn how to lease industrial, office, and retail properties with ease...
6. Commercial Real Estate Investing 101
The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Apartment, Retail, Office, and Industrial Real Estate Investing...
7. The Guide To Office & Industrial Real Estate Investing
How To Analyze Office and Industrial Real Estate Investments For Smarter Investing...
8. Pre-Investing: Essential Real Estate Investing Concepts
What Future Real Estate Investors MUST Know Before Making Their 1st Investment...
9. The Commercial Real Estate Lease Modeling Master Class
The Complete Step-By-Step Guide To Building Dynamic Commercial Real Estate Lease Models in Microsoft Excel...
10. 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...
11. Brief Intro to Commercial Real Estate
Learn the essential fundamentals of commercial real estate...
12. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
13. Real Estate Investment & Finance
Learn to use real estate investing tools to make better investing decisions from a Certified Public Account (CPA)...
14. 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...
15. The Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp
The Complete Guide To Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling For Real Estate Investment Professionals...
16. Property Management 101
Learn the basics of managing rental property and becoming a landlord...
17. The Complete Guide To Retail Real Estate Investing
How To Analyze & Invest in Retail Shopping Centers, Strip Centers, and Single-Tenant Net-Leased Retail Properties...
18. The Advanced Real Estate Pro Forma Modeling Master Class
The Complete Guide To Creating An Institutional-Quality Commercial Real Estate Pro Forma Model From Scratch In Excel...
19. 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...
20. Intro to Real Estate Development
Learn professional techniques and use investment-grade models to analyze real estate development deals...
Top 10 most affordable universities for real estate investors
The most affordable schools for real estate investors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for real estate investors 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 investors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for real estate investors
The hardest universities for real estate investors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for real estate investors 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 investors 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for real estate investors
The easiest schools for real estate investors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a real estate investor 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 investors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average real estate investor salary by education level
| Real estate investor education level | Real estate investor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,510 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $78,010 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,544 |
| Doctorate Degree | $107,795 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $80,928 |
Real estate investor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025