Real Estate: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.15. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 410 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 153 | 4,046 | $45,163 | $46,762 | $17,806 16 programs |
| Associate's degree | 100 | 658 | $34,704 | $40,327 | $16,439 3 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 73 | 1,894 | $62,470 | $84,821 | $20,500 25 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 46 | 1,079 | $103,991 | $135,104 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 33 | 198 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddleback College CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $82,543 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 81 graduates measured | $74,053 | $100,940 | $22,247 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 17 graduates measured | $62,489 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $58,806 | $69,806 | $21,500 |
| Columbus State Community College OH · Public · 110 graduates measured | $48,480 | $51,228 | $16,573 |
| Palm Beach State College FL · Public · 32 graduates measured | $44,442 | $55,978 | $11,121 |
| Colorado Mountain College CO · Public · 21 graduates measured | $44,407 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ogden-Weber Technical College UT · Public · 44 graduates measured | $43,165 | $41,042 | $10,640 |
| Sinclair Community College OH · Public · 68 graduates measured | $40,636 | $48,643 | $12,914 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 51 graduates measured | $35,652 | Data unavailable | $13,710 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 43 graduates measured | $35,104 | $44,318 | $15,250 |
| McLennan Community College TX · Public · 20 graduates measured | $32,378 | Data unavailable | $7,186 |
| Lorain County Community College OH · Public · 25 graduates measured | $19,857 | Data unavailable | $21,124 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $31,684 | $53,534 | $15,542 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $92,528 | $143,977 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $88,970 | $130,716 | $17,875 |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $86,945 | $131,911 | $27,000 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $75,378 | $90,764 | $20,500 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 95 graduates measured | $75,375 | $120,483 | $15,000 |
| Marquette University WI · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $73,121 | $99,583 | $22,124 |
| University of Denver CO · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $69,410 | $87,026 | Data unavailable |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public · 93 graduates measured | $68,467 | $95,576 | $20,500 |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $67,672 | Data unavailable | $30,250 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 85 graduates measured | $67,501 | $78,372 | $17,500 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 32 graduates measured | $67,271 | $91,213 | $19,500 |
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 80 graduates measured | $65,952 | $78,044 | $20,000 |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $65,010 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Northern Iowa IA · Public · 47 graduates measured | $64,646 | $83,592 | $21,500 |
| Temple University PA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $64,346 | $65,650 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $144,319 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 137 graduates measured | $131,419 | $156,252 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 118 graduates measured | $123,382 | $154,778 | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $111,699 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Utah UT · Public · 32 graduates measured | $110,480 | $122,525 | Data unavailable |
| University of Denver CO · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $100,594 | $103,304 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $97,995 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 30 graduates measured | $97,555 | $148,764 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 52 graduates measured | $95,753 | $124,680 | Data unavailable |
| Portland State University OR · Public · 21 graduates measured | $90,275 | $117,821 | Data unavailable |
| Florida International University FL · Public · 108 graduates measured | $67,771 | $83,465 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Real Estate
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property, real estate, and community association managers | $69,990 | +3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Real estate brokers | $73,220 | +0.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Real estate sales agents | $52,830 | +1.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 52.1501 Real Estate