Real Estate: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Real Estate graduates earn a median $84,821 four years after finishing — $36,461/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.9 years. Federal data pools 65 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,848 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Real Estate ranks #38 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 82% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | CA | $143,977 |
| 2 | Villanova University | PA | $131,911 |
| 3 | New York University | NY | $130,716 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $120,483 |
| 5 | Texas Christian University | TX | $103,547 |
| 6 | Marquette University | WI | $99,583 |
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $95,576 |
| 8 | Baylor University | TX | $94,027 |
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | $91,213 |
| 10 | Syracuse University | NY | $90,764 |
| 11 | University of Denver | CO | $87,026 |
| 12 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | $84,558 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.