by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 21 U.S. colleges awarded 608 degrees and certificates in Real Estate Development. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 65% of graduates. College Factual ranks 12 schools in its 2027 Best Real Estate Development Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $85,591 one year after completing, rising to $133,408 after four years.
Do you want to create and redevelop housing, offices, and business buildings? As a real estate development major you get to prepare for a career of creating new buildings and rebuilding existing structures. You find undeveloped or improperly developed property and convert it into something new and useful. This is a fast-paced and exciting career that rarely has down time.
The courses that are required are very broad and include many architectural topics such as landscape architect, design, and historic preservation. Other classes could include engineering, urban planning, public policy, real estate, finance, accounting, and business.
Studying Real Estate Development covers Real Estate Development.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, real estate development draws strong interest, with 608 degrees awarded annually. 21 colleges award real estate development degrees, an average of 29 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 154.
By level, the 608 awards include 1 certificates, 211 bachelor’s degrees and 396 master’s degrees.
Women earned 28% of real estate development degrees and certificates in the latest year (173 of 608). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (292) and Hispanic or Latino (90), and international students earned 97.
College Factual ranks 12 schools in its 2027 Best Real Estate Development Schools ranking, including 3 for bachelor’s degrees and 9 for master’s degrees. It also ranks real estate development schools within 5 states. In all, 21 colleges offer real estate development programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Real Estate Development Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common real estate development credential is the master’s degree: 396 of the 608 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to real estate development call most for Speaking, Active Listening and Critical Thinking, and for knowledge of Customer and Personal Service, English Language and Sales and Marketing, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression and Written Comprehension.
Working with undeveloped property takes creativity. As a real estate manager you must be imaginative and ready to create something new and fresh. It is also important that you are able to multi-task and can handle a fast-paced day. There are rarely two days where the same thing will happen. You must be confident and be ready to make bold decisions in order to be successful. This is not a job with constant stability.
As real estate developer you become the manger of physically built environment. It is imperative to manage many people while balancing the needs and interests of the clients involved. As the developer you envision the landscape that will turn into homes, civic areas, places of recreation and employment. You need to discover how we want to live and work and plan accordingly.
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How long a real estate development degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 1 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 211 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 396 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to real estate development, at 30.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 30.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 21.4% |
| Some college courses | 13.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 10.2% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 9.3% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 4.4% |
| First professional degree | 4.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.1% |
| Master’s degree | 2.6% |
Source: O*NET Online.
6 occupations are related to Real Estate Development, with an average median salary of $55,701; the strongest outlook belongs to Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate, at 13.0% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Real Estate Salesperson, Leasing Specialist, Real Estate Associate and Real Estate Specialist.
There are many different career paths you can take as a developer. The most traditional is to become a real estate developer. You could also work as a planner, developer, broker, or contractor worldwide. However, some people decide that real estate development is not for them because of the irregular income and potential risks associated with the lack of dependability. Other options include banking, construction financing, or even real estate sales. These professions tend to not be as profitable, but do offer more stability.
In order to be a leader and truly take the reigns as a developer, most students will go on to get their master's degree.
The occupation related to real estate development with the most projected jobs is Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other, at 1,421,275.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 1,421,275 | 11.1% |
| Real Estate Brokers | 1,031,675 | 5.1% |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | 904,074 | -3.0% |
| Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate | 575,561 | 13.0% |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | 261,248 | 0.4% |
| Urban and Regional Planners | 52,637 | 8.1% |
Real Estate Development graduates earn a median $85,591 one year after completing their program, $133,408 after four years and $144,388 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $85,591 |
| 4 years | $133,408 |
| 5 years | $144,388 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to real estate development is Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers, with a median salary of $77,609.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $77,609 |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $66,890 |
| Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate | $61,167 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $47,617 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $44,773 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $36,148 |
Real Estate Development includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Real Estate Development (608). It has 8 similar majors in the Architecture/Urban Planning field, which together award 20,601 degrees a year; the largest are Architectural Sciences and Technology (10,337), Architecture (4,669) and City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning (2,179). Browse all Architecture/Urban Planning majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Real Estate Development | 608 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 10,337 |
| Architecture | 4,669 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 2,179 |
| Landscape Architecture | 1,321 |
| Interior Architecture | 933 |
| Environmental Design | 773 |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | 216 |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | 173 |
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