Best Real Estate Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 25 Real Estate programs in the United States by median earnings of Real Estate graduates four years after completing. University of Southern California leads the list with median earnings of $143,977 four years after completing, followed by Villanova University at $131,911 and New York University at $130,716.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $83,592, with a range from $143,977 to $34,704.
The list includes 14 public and 11 private nonprofit institutions. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College reports the lowest average net price at $3,033, and also holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, ranking 2nd among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of Northern Iowa has the highest admission rate, admitting 93% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $143,977 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports median earnings of $143,977 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $131,911 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University ranks 2nd on this list and shows a median federal debt of $27,000 among Real Estate completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | New York University · New York, NY | $130,716 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| With an admission rate of 9%, New York University is the most selective school on the page and posts median earnings of $130,716 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $120,483 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison, a public university in Madison, reports median earnings of $120,483 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,354. | |||||
| 5 | Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX | $103,547 | $36,660 | $17,956 | 44.5% |
| Texas Christian University ranks 5th on this list and reports an average net price of $17,956 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $99,583 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University admits 81% of applicants and its Real Estate graduates earned a median of $99,583 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $95,576 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 112th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $95,576 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Baylor University · Waco, TX | $94,027 | $41,104 | $22,024 | 51.3% |
| Baylor University reports a median federal debt of $20,500 among Real Estate completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $94,027 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $91,213 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $91,213 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $90,764 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University ranks 10th on this list and its graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $26,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 11 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $87,026 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver reports median earnings of $87,026 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 78%. | |||||
| 12 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | $84,558 | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
| Ranking 12th on this list, University of South Carolina-Columbia reports a median federal debt of $21,500 among Real Estate completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | University of Northern Iowa · Cedar Falls, IA | $83,592 | $15,901 | $10,863 | 92.7% |
| University of Northern Iowa admits 93% of applicants and reports median earnings of $83,592 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $80,900 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University ranks 14th on this list, with an average net price of $11,297 and a median of $19,500 in federal debt among Real Estate completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $78,372 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
| University of Georgia reports $78,372 in median earnings for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 38%. | |||||
| 16 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $78,044 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in San Diego, University of San Diego shows median federal debt of $19,699 among Real Estate completers who borrowed and an average net price of $30,365. | |||||
| 17 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $72,063 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida ranks 19th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $72,063 in median earnings for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $71,473 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| Median earnings of $71,473 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $15,649 at University of North Texas. | |||||
| 19 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $65,650 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University reports median federal debt of $22,500 among Real Estate completers who borrowed, with an admission rate of 80%. | |||||
| 20 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $62,817 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks 20th on this list and reports $62,817 in median earnings for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA | $62,120 | $15,931 | $13,787 | 55.4% |
| Georgia State University shows an average net price of $15,931 and median federal debt of $28,220 among Real Estate completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, VA | $60,718 | $23,433 | $17,512 | 92.6% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University reports median earnings of $60,718 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing, with a median of $21,500 in federal debt across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 23 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $49,019 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas admits 85% of applicants and reports an average net price of $29,155. | |||||
| 24 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $40,626 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
| DePaul University ranks 276th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $40,626 for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · New York, NY | $34,704 | $3,033 | $607 | 47.5% |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College reports $34,704 in median earnings for its Real Estate graduates four years after completing, and ranks 2nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Real Estate graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished the program. For 3 of the 25 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of Southern California and second-ranked Villanova University is $12,066.
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