California · Real Estate

Best colleges for Real Estate in California

Ranked by graduate earnings

Los Angeles Valley College, Poway Adult School and Mt San Antonio College award the most Real Estate degrees and certificates in California: 150, 137 and 105 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 68 California colleges offer Real Estate and award 2,082 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Real Estate program focuses on the principles and practices of real estate economics, preparing students for a dynamic career in the real estate industry. This program is ideal for individuals interested in understanding market trends,…

Institutions
68
offering CIP 52.15
States offered
35
with a program page
Degrees / yr
2,082
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$35,879
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
2
College Scorecard
Median net price
$41,986
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
41%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Real Estate Brokers
$89,020
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 2 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of San Diego
San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$54,0737684%$26,035$21,000
2California State University - Northridge
Northridge Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$35,879357%——

Colleges awarding the most Real Estate degrees in California

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen Public
150Not reported
2Poway Adult School
Poway Public
137Not reported
3Mt San Antonio College
Walnut Public
105Not reported
4Glendale Community College
Glendale Public
91Not reported
5University of San Diego
San Diego Private not-for-profit
76$54,073
6Cerritos College
Norwalk Public
73Not reported
7Citrus College
Glendora Public
66Not reported
8San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton Public
64Not reported
9El Camino Community College District
Torrance Public
62Not reported
10Saddleback College
Mission Viejo Public
61Not reported
Show the other 58 California colleges offering Real Estate
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
West Los Angeles CollegeCulver CityPublic161
Chaffey CollegeRancho CucamongaPublic58
Long Beach City CollegeLong BeachPublic55
Santa Rosa Junior CollegeSanta RosaPublic52
Southwestern CollegeChula VistaPublic49
Modesto Junior CollegeModestoPublic47
East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey ParkPublic45
Chabot CollegeHaywardPublic40
Riverside City CollegeRiversidePublic37
Victor Valley CollegeVictorvillePublic37
Los Angeles City CollegeLos AngelesPublic34
Norco CollegeNorcoPublic26
City College of San FranciscoSan FranciscoPublic25
Irvine Valley CollegeIrvinePublic25
Santiago Canyon CollegeOrangePublic25
Cosumnes River CollegeSacramentoPublic23
Antelope Valley Community College DistrictLancasterPublic21
College of the CanyonsSanta ClaritaPublic21
Fullerton CollegeFullertonPublic20
Palomar CollegeSan MarcosPublic20
American River CollegeSacramentoPublic18
Cuyamaca CollegeEl CajonPublic18
De Anza CollegeCupertinoPublic18
Diablo Valley CollegePleasant HillPublic17
Lake Tahoe Community CollegeSouth Lake TahoePublic17
Merced CollegeMercedPublic16
Mendocino CollegeUkiahPublic15
Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictSan JacintoPublic15
Contra Costa CollegeSan PabloPublic14
Orange Coast CollegeCosta MesaPublic14
Pepperdine UniversityMalibuPrivate not-for-profit14
Sacramento City CollegeSacramentoPublic14
Los Angeles Trade Technical CollegeLos AngelesPublic13
Sierra CollegeRocklinPublic13
San Bernardino Valley CollegeSan BernardinoPublic13
Butte CollegeOrovillePublic12
San Diego Mesa CollegeSan DiegoPublic11
Solano Community CollegeFairfieldPublic11
Chapman UniversityOrangePrivate not-for-profit10
Folsom Lake CollegeFolsomPublic10
Los Angeles Harbor CollegeWilmingtonPublic9
Merritt CollegeOaklandPublic9
Gavilan CollegeGilroyPublic7
Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta BarbaraPublic7
Moreno Valley CollegeMoreno ValleyPublic7
Coastline Community College (Online)Fountain ValleyPublic6
Los Angeles Southwest CollegeLos AngelesPublic6
Menlo CollegeAthertonPrivate not-for-profit6
Monterey Peninsula CollegeMontereyPublic6
Compton CollegeComptonPublic4
Los Angeles Mission CollegeSylmarPublic4
College of MarinKentfieldPublic4
San Jose City CollegeSan JosePublic4
California State University - Los AngelesLos AngelesPublic3
California State University - NorthridgeNorthridgePublic3
San Diego City CollegeSan DiegoPublic3
West Valley CollegeSaratogaPublic3
Ohlone CollegeFremontPublic2

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Real Estate Brokers (SOC 41-9021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+3.3%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~9,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$72,280
typically High school diploma or equivalent

Top skills

SpeakingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionActive LearningWriting

What Real Estate Brokers earn in California

Jobs in California
8,430
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$89,020
median $80,450
Best-paying metro
$115,770
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Related careers

Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
$89,320 avg · 50,040 jobs
Real Estate Sales Agents
$67,570 avg · 17,500 jobs
Real Estate Brokers
$89,020 avg · 8,430 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Real Estate programs in California.

Which California colleges award the most Real Estate degrees?+

Los Angeles Valley College (150 graduates a year), Poway Adult School (137 graduates a year) and Mt San Antonio College (105 graduates a year) award the most Real Estate degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 68 California colleges offer Real Estate.

Which Real Estate program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of San Diego tops the list at $54,073. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Real Estate Brokers earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Real Estate Brokers in California is $89,020 (median $80,450), across about 8,430 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Real Estate program?+

The Real Estate program focuses on the principles and practices of real estate economics, preparing students for a dynamic career in the real estate industry. This program is ideal for individuals interested in understanding market trends,…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Real Estate Brokers?+

The national job outlook is about +3.3% growth with around 9,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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