The 10 Best Real Estate Schools Compared: Meet the Winner!

Who wouldn't want a career in one of the fastest growing areas of employment in the country? According to the United States Department of Labor, the real estate job market is expected to grow more than 14%; a substantially higher percentage than the national job market average.

A career in the real estate market is one of the most promising professions available offering limitless opportunities to expand and establish a foothold in one of the most dependable and fastest growing areas of the American economy.

To enter into this esteemed profession, however, it requires preparation. Those who find their way into the best real estate schools in the country will have an advantage over those without a quality college education.

Best Real Estate Schools

A real estate school will help potential residental and commercial real estate agents, brokers and realtors understand the world of finance as well to acquire the necessary skills of negotiation and valuation required to be successful in the field.

This brief article will compare the top rated ones in the nation outlining the distinctions, tuition rates, and other qualifications of the most qualified realtor institutions available. It will also detail the essential real estate courses necessary to help students develop the necessary aptitudes for a career in real estate.

Below you will find a list of the top 10 schools in the country that teach Real Estate. This review will present the distinctions of each of these schools in the country, the tuition rates, as well as certain real estate classes offered by each university that set them apart from the rest.

Comparison Table of the 10 Best Real Estate Schools

School Name

Location

Tuition Rate

Distinctions

Specialized Realtor Classes Offered

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

$49,536

A career mentor program couples students with successful real estate professionals

Urban public policy and private economic development, housing markets, urban fiscal policy, and entrepreneurship in the real estate industry.

University of Wisconsin Madison

Madison, Wisconsin

in-state: $10,415, out-of-state: $29,665

Many international study abroad opportunities are available to students

Urban and regional economics, residential property development, international real estate and housing economics.

University of California Berkeley

Berkeley, California

in-state: $13,432, out-of-state: $38,140

Focus on intensive research opportunities to develop a niche in the field.

Real estate investment and market analysis, land development and investment, continuous time asset pricing.

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

in-state: $11,622, out-of-state: $29,832

The state real estate organization offers an annual challenge to real estate students.

Principles of valuation, research in real estate, and opportunities for specialized directed study.

New York University

New York, New York

$46,170

The school takes part in several real estate associations on a regional and national level.

Development, finance, investment, valuation, project management, law, market analysis, digital imaging and economics.

Central Michigan University

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

in-state: $11,850 out-of-state: $23,670

Combines an educational focus on real estate development and finance

Economics of cities and regions, money and capital markets, and internship opportunities.

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

in-state: $6,313, out-of-state: $28,591

An annual distinguished speaker series introduces students to the thought of leaders in the industry.

Work on a real-world commercial real estate project instead of a thesis in order to graduate.

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

in-state: $6,507, out-of-state: $21,673

The university has a 92% average freshman retention rate.

Macroeconomics, microeconomics, competitive dynamics, and the legal environment of real estate.

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

$50,210

The university has a 91% 6 year graduation rate.

Finance and deal structuring, market analysis, site planning, and project management.

University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

in-state: $9,830, out-of-state: $34,836

Has a focus on energy sufficiency and sustainability within the real estate and business worlds.

Architecture, business, economics, engineering, real estate law and urban planning.

Important Factors Affecting your Decision

There are many real estate school reviews on the web, but this review offers you, as a real estate career aspirant, a concise summary of the best realtor institutions available. When weighing your options, it's important to determine what area of the real estate industry you are planning on entering. The real estate industry is broad, and it would be wise to find a program that offers real estate courses that respond to your interests and planned area of work.

It is also important to determine what profession within the real estate profession you are seeking. A real estate agent can be anyone who earns a simple real estate license. A realtor is a real estate agent that is connected with the National Association of Realtors. This entails that a realtor must uphold the code of ethics of this national association. A real estate broker generally has a higher level of education and has passed a broker's license exam. Brokers are entitled to hire agents to work for them. Different schools offer bachelors, masters and doctorate programs in the real estate field depending on the level of specialization and the level of education you desire.

Reviews and Features of the Best Realtor Schools

#1: University of Pennsylvania: Wharton School

Wharton School

Since 1985 the Wharton School has offered an undergraduate degree in real estate making it one of the oldest programs in the country. The course outline focuses on the main areas of real estate development and finance, but the wide array of electives offered allow students the freedom to develop their own specialization according to your individual interests. Before declaring as a real estate major, you will receive a foundational education in both the business and liberal arts areas. Students who graduate from the Wharton School enter the real estate arena equipped with the skills necessary to be successful in the rapidly changing real estate market and business world.

This short video here gives you a general overview of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

#2: University of Wisconsin Madison: James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate

Graaskamp Center for Real Estate

The Real Estate Program at the University of Wisconsin Madison combines both the James Graaskamp Center and the Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics. A relatively small community of students benefit from studying under a dedicated and professional professorship. The program also allows students the opportunity to network with industry peers and other students and faculty. Land economics has been taught at the University of Wisconsin Madison since the 1890's.

#3: University of California Berkeley: Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics

Fisher Center Real Estate and Urban Economics

The popular courses offered by the Fisher Center allow students the ability to apply conceptual knowledge from the real estate field to the reality of a large, dynamic and continually evolving real estate market. Applied field work and class projects give students real life experience to complement the theory of classroom study. A variety of summer internships are also offered to students in a variety of real estate related areas including real estate investment trusts, e-commerce startups, real estate investment banking, amongst others.

#4: University of Georgia: Terry College of Business

Terry College of Business

The Real Estate Program at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia has been ranked in the top 5 of the US News annual rankings for many years in a row. The Terry College publishes one of the most prestigious academic journals related to the real estate industry in the country. The faculty for the program regularly publish up to date scholarly articles in different national journals as well. The program offers students a variety of internship and job placement services helping you gain a foothold into the industry upon graduation. Lots of hands on experience allow you to gain the real life experience necessary for success in the field.

Schack Institute for Real Estate

The Schack Institute began as a graduate program aimed at helping real estate professionals continue to deepen their education. Recently it also opened an undergraduate program. The Institute has strong ties and relationship with the construction industry and the Schack Industry's conferences on real estate issues garner national and international attention. The Jack Brause Library is one of the largest libraries in the country dedicated exclusively to the real estate and construction disciplines thus allowing you as a student access to limitless bibliographic material on the real estate industry. The Institute also has an advisory board made up of prominent and influential figures in the national sphere.

#6: Central Michigan University

Central Michigan University

The Real Estate Development and Finance Program at Central Michigan University is the only university in Michigan to offer real estate classes and an undergraduate degree to students from Michigan. The program has a broad curriculum in both real estate development and finance that is tailored to the private developer as well as to professionals interested in entering into the areas of brokerage, engineering, environmental planning, and land use. As a student you will be able to participate in various trips including the annual real estate conference sponsored by the University that brings together various speakers from the real estate industry. An internship fair brings you face to face with potential employers and peers.

#7: University of Florida: Kelley A. Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies

Kelley A. Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies

The Bergstrom Center has brought together researchers, academics, students and leaders in the real estate industry for over 30 years. You will benefit from engagement with career mentors, international study abroad experiences, and distinguished speaker series. The masters program allows you the opportunity to engage in a real life project instead of a conceptual thesis. Students will also have the opportunity to develop extensive professional networks with real estate leaders from around the country.

#8: Florida State University

Florida State University

The Real Estate Program at Florida State University is structured as a multidisciplinary program that includes theory from the areas of urban land economics, consumer behavior, appraisal, investment analysis and risk theory. Multicultural course requirements will broaden your perspective, and electives in the social sciences will help you gain exposure to the realities to be found once engaged in the real estate world. The program framework focuses on the impacts of taxation, risk, financing structure, governmental constraints, and market context.

The Lusk Center brings together industry leaders, students and faculty in an assortment of workshop and seminars to examine current issues in the real estate industry, the urban economy and public policy. The Ross Minority Program allows students to develop into urban entrepreneurs with the technical expertise needed to develop urban real estate projects in their own communities. It is one of the only programs of its kind in the nation and was begun by an endowment given by the Ross Family. The Lusk Center is distinguished for its emphasis on helping prepare students to influence public policy in the real estate sector. The center combines lectures, cases, and active engagement with the industry so students experience and master all facets of real estate’s tasks and challenges.

#10: University of Texas at Austin: McCombs School of Business

McCombs School of Business

In 1999, the Real Estate Finance and Investment Center at the McCombs School of Business became the first program of its kind established at a major US University. The program has a strong focus on finance related real estate issues including the efficiency of real estate investment markets, the valuation of mortgage-backed securities, the agency issues associated with real estate financing agreements, and the financial structure of real estate investment trusts. The Center also has the REIT fund which is a student managed investment fund allowing students to gain real life experience in the real estate trust equity services. The Undergraduate Real Estate Society offers you student organizational support.

FAQs

Where can I find the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics?

Over 720,000 members participate in the National Association of Realtors and its code of ethics can be found here.

How can I learn more about the real estate industry before making the decision about which school to attend?

The Kevin Ward Real Estate Academy has a series of Youtube videos that can help you better understand the world of real estate. The videos can be found on KW Academy's YouTube Channel.

Is my real estate degree or license able to be used in across state boundaries?

Each state has a different governing body that regulates real estate professionals with requirements that vary by state. To find the requirements for your state, go to your state's landing page.

Which Realtor School Is Right for You?

Real Estate School

With such a variety of schools to choose from -- and let's not forget the online options, you'll definitely be able to find a school that is tailored to your own individual needs and wants.

No matter which school you choose, it's important to determine first what you want out of the real estate industry and what specialization you're interested in.

This analyis will help you weigh your options and help you find your way into one of the profitable and promising careers in the real estate industry.

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has consistently been ranked as the nation's number one real estate school by the US News and World Report. It offers programs as an undergraduate bachelors degree, a MBA, as well as doctoral programs.

The Wharton school is your best option to discover the necessary skills to succeed in the real estate industry and I recommend it to anyone hoping to begin a career in real estate.

You can find more information on their website.

 

Mike Davidson
 

Mike Davidson has been in the real estate business since early 2000s. Presently, he works as a real estate coach helping agents and brokerages achieve their goals whilst teaching them a panoply of new technologies, office and team management and how to cope with their job pressure.