Real Estate major
Real Estate: courses, careers, and where to study
Real Estate covers property markets, valuation, finance, development, and law, preparing graduates to broker, manage, finance, develop, and appraise residential and commercial property.
A Real Estate major, usually offered as a bachelor's within a business school, builds on the business core with coursework in real-estate principles, property valuation and appraisal, real-estate finance and mortgage markets, investment analysis, property and asset management, land-use and zoning, and real-estate law. Many programs sit within or alongside a Finance department, and some offer concentrations in commercial real estate, development, or property management. Coursework often includes financial modeling, market analysis, and a development or investment capstone.
Graduates work as brokers and sales agents, property and asset managers, appraisers, mortgage and commercial loan officers, real-estate analysts, and developers. Brokering is one common path and does not require a graduate degree: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the typical entry path for real estate brokers is a high school diploma plus state licensure, though many earn a degree. The BS provides the finance, valuation, and law background that supports analyst and management roles and helps with advancement, while licensure governs who may broker transactions. The BLS projects 3.3% employment growth for real estate brokers from 2024 to 2034.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Real Estate maps to CIP 52.1501, Real Estate, within the BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to develop, buy, sell, appraise, and manage real estate. Includes instruction in land use development policy, real estate law, real estate marketing procedures, agency management, brokerage, property inspection and appraisal, real estate investing, leased and rental properties, commercial real estate, and property management.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What you'll study
- Real-estate principles, markets, and brokerage practice
- Property valuation and appraisal methods
- Real-estate finance, mortgages, and capital markets
- Real-estate investment analysis and financial modeling
- Property and asset management
- Real-estate development and the construction process
- Land-use planning, zoning, and entitlements
- Real-estate law, contracts, and ethics
Typical careers
- Real estate brokers
- Real Estate Sales Agent
- Property Manager
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Analyst
- Mortgage Loan Officer
Typical salary range: Informational, not a starting wage (BLS, 2024 real estate brokers median $72,280)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Real Estate. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
- Appraisers of Personal and Business Property
- Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
- Real Estate Brokers
- Real Estate Sales Agents
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.
Before you commit to a Real Estate major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Real Estate program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Real Estate department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Real Estate program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Real Estate programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Related majors
Finance
Finance majors learn how money moves, corporate finance, investments, financial markets, and risk management, preparing for roles in banking, investments, and corporate analysis.
Business Administration
Business Administration is the most popular U.S. major, a broad foundation in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and economics that prepares graduates for nearly any industry.
Economics
Economics studies how individuals, firms, and governments allocate resources, combining theory with empirical analysis and a strong mathematical foundation.
Construction Management
Construction Management blends building science, project planning, and business to prepare graduates to plan, budget, and oversee construction projects from groundbreaking to handover.
Urban Planning
Urban Planning studies how communities use land, housing, and transportation, suiting students who want to shape physical and policy decisions about where people live and move.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.