Best Real Estate Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
18
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$229,911
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$40,986
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate: 89.3% |
WI | +$847,365 | $91,306 | $27,770 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Villanova University
Grad rate: 91.5% |
PA | +$629,766 | $91,484 | $80,866 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Texas Christian University
Grad rate: 84.7% |
TX | +$564,467 | $86,418 | $72,778 | $24,282 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of San Diego
Grad rate: 82.1% |
CA | +$517,674 | $84,277 | $74,879 | $21,000 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Marquette University
Grad rate: 81.3% |
WI | +$340,523 | $72,989 | $63,233 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
University of Georgia
Grad rate: 87.6% |
GA | +$270,219 | $62,620 | $27,436 | $24,027 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
University of North Texas
Grad rate: 59.2% |
TX | +$246,971 | $60,472 | $25,470 | $15,251 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
University of St Thomas
Grad rate: 77.3% |
MN | +$242,904 | $67,082 | $64,684 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
DePaul University
Grad rate: 69.7% |
IL | +$216,372 | $64,712 | $59,467 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Florida State University
Grad rate: 83.9% |
FL | +$214,323 | $58,769 | $23,683 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Northern Iowa
Grad rate: 66.3% |
IA | +$188,233 | $57,298 | $21,627 | $23,125 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | +$180,070 | $58,150 | $29,320 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Temple University
Grad rate: 76.3% |
PA | +$148,479 | $58,991 | $39,799 | $23,811 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Grad rate: 52.3% |
TX | +$95,979 | $52,544 | $21,474 | $21,485 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Georgia State University
Grad rate: 54.3% |
GA | +$33,904 | $51,013 | $26,535 | $29,789 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Virginia Commonwealth University
Grad rate: 64.9% |
VA | +$656 | $48,902 | $34,346 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
Grad rate: 72.8% |
NY | -$255,289 | $32,986 | $13,521 | $15,500 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Ashford University
Grad rate: 9.3% |
CA | -$344,215 | $33,481 | $30,866 | $37,312 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Real Estate Degrees by State
Browse Real Estate programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.