To offer valid courses for real estate education, all real estate schools need to be state-approved. However, some students also want schools accredited by industry organizations like ARELLO and IDECC. To find the top accredited schools, we analyzed more than a dozen and chose the six best based on price, courses, reviews, and support.
Top 6 Accredited Real Estate Schools
Best Accredited Real Estate Schools | Best for |
|---|---|
(Best overall) Agents and brokers looking for a variety of course formats | |
Agents and brokers who want to customize their course packages | |
Professionals who want a personalized study plan and a pass guarantee | |
The CE Shop | Realtors who need to complete an NAR-required ethics course along with state-required education |
Professionals looking for a school with the highest-quality customer support | |
Agents and brokers looking for real estate education at the lowest price |
How We Evaluated The Top Accredited Real Estate Schools
Real estate schools must provide education that meets state licensing requirements. To ensure that we provided options for aspiring real estate agents in as many states as possible, we opted to feature only online schools in this review. Additionally, we featured schools with accreditation from organizations like ARELLO to ensure the best education possible. To help select from the many accredited schools, we evaluated each based on price, coursework, student reviews, and support.
These are the criteria used to evaluate the best accredited real estate schools:
- Price: The range of prices you will see from our top accredited real estate schools will vary drastically, largely because state requirements differ greatly. However, we chose schools that offered the best value for the cost.
- Course format: Everyone learns differently, so we considered this when ranking the best accredited real estate schools. Our choices feature several learning mediums, such as online reading material, on-demand video, and live classes.
- Course variety: In some cases, state-required coursework does not allow students to select their own elective classes. Where this is possible, however, it’s important to have many options to fit the career needs of different agents. Therefore, we considered the variety of courses and package options offered by each of the schools on our list.
- Accreditation: We selected online schools that offer the highest number of state-approved courses and had at least one accreditation—from the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) or the International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC).
- Customer reviews: While customer reviews can vary widely, they are a good gauge of student satisfaction and the quality of a school’s education. We included relevant student reviews and feedback for each of the schools below.
- Customer support: Online schools need to offer support to students should they have technical issues or course questions. Therefore, we favored schools with multiple support channels and availability during business hours. Additional support channels and more availability was noted in our reviews.
After taking all of these criteria into consideration, we found Kaplan Real Estate Education to be the best overall accredited real estate school. It is accredited by ARELLO and IDECC, and have prelicensing, exam prep, continuing education, and post-licensing courses in 22 states. It also offers the most methods of learning—online and in person—so students can choose the course format that best serves them.
Kaplan: Best Overall Accredited Real Estate School
Kaplan Real Estate Education is a national real estate school that offers courses in 22 states and is accredited by ARELLO and IDECC. It offers the most learning methods of any option on our list. Courses are available online, in person, live online, or by on-demand video for as little as $19. With this variety, Kaplan is best for real estate professionals who want to choose a course format that fits with its unique learning style.
Kaplan Pricing
The price of Kaplan’s courses depends on each state’s real estate course requirements. You can get individual courses for as low as $19 in Georgia, or a 45-hour salesperson CE course in California for only $144. For a package with extra resources and coaching, you could pay as much as $1,188 in Texas.
Overall, Kaplan’s pricing is comparable to other accredited real estate schools. For the valuable courses and resources that it offers to real estate professionals, its prices are very affordable. The cost can sometimes change based on the course format, however.
Kaplan Features
Kaplan’s courses are offered in four different course formats. Although it doesn’t offer real estate courses in every state, it provides a variety of topics and course packages in many states and has ARELLO and IDECC accreditations. If you want business coaching or an intensive course to start your career off well, you can also purchase one of its career-focused packages.
Course Format
There are four different course delivery formats you can choose from at Kaplan: in person, online, live online, or on-demand video. This allows you to choose the best method for your learning style. However, not every class from Kaplan is offered in all four formats, so you have to check your state.
For both in-person courses and live online courses, you must schedule them in advance. If you would rather take your real estate coursework on your own schedule, you can choose its online classes with text or its on-demand videos.
Course Variety
Kaplan does not offer real estate coursework in every state; The CE Shop and OnCourse Learning have more state-approved courses. However, it offers multiple course and package options for the states where it is accredited. Although you cannot customize your package like you can with McKissock, it offers individual courses in most states, especially for CE credits.
Unique Offerings
In the states where Kaplan’s courses are accredited, it offers career-focused packages for new agents or brokers. These packages are usually extensions of prelicensing, CE, or post-licensing courses that are already required. They are titled either “Career Launcher” and “Career Accelerator.”
For example, in Pennsylvania, you can purchase the “Career Launcher” package for $679. This includes all 75 hours of required post-licensing coursework, plus an interactive study group and a two-day intensive business class. Some Career Launcher or Career Accelerator courses also include four weeks of business coaching.
Kaplan Customer Support
You can contact Kaplan for customer support or topic-related questions by phone or email during its business hours, Monday through Friday. If you need tech support, it is available 24/7 by phone or email. It is the only school with availability for tech support at all times. However, The CE Shop has customer support seven days of the week.
What Kaplan Is Missing
There are 28 states where Kaplan does not offer courses. These are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming.
If real estate courses are not offered from Kaplan in your state, you could try McKissock Learning.
What Users Think About Kaplan
On Indeed and Yelp, Kaplan has received an average 4-star review. Users expressed that the course material is very detailed and helpful. Many users also stated that the practice quizzes and study tools were especially helpful when preparing for its state’s real estate exam. A few students stated that they didn’t realize courses expired after a few months, so be sure to complete your courses on time. Learn more on our Kaplan reviews page.
Where to Find Kaplan
Kaplan is the best overall accredited real estate school because of the various delivery methods it offers as well as its robust customer support and the quality of its courses. You can click here for more information about which courses are offered in your state.
McKissock: Best for Course Customization
McKissock Learning is a fully online real estate school, accredited by ARELLO and IDECC, with courses in every state. Individual classes start at $16. It is the only school that allows you to choose the specific courses you want as part of an affordable package. McKissock is best for professionals who want the flexibility to customize its real estate education package.
McKissock Pricing
McKissock’s individual classes can be as little as $16 for a three-hour CE course in California, or $69 for a four-hour course in North Carolina. The packages are based on requirements from each state, and it ranges from $99 for a post-licensing package in Florida to $451 for prelicensing in Colorado.
McKissock Features
McKissock’s courses are all online and in text format, but you can contact a real estate instructor with any questions about your coursework. It has CE courses and a CE membership in every state, and all courses are accredited by ARELLO and IDECC. It is also the only school that allows users to customize its course packages.
Course Format
All courses from McKissock Learning are online, and most of them are composed of text with some pictures. However, McKissock is one of the only schools to offer one-on-one instructor assistance. The instructor will not be teaching your class but is available by email for any of your questions. For video or live courses, look at Kaplan.
Course Variety
McKissock offers a variety of prelicensing, exam prep, continuing education, and post-licensing courses. However, it doesn’t necessarily offer everything in every state. The only thing it does offer in every state is continuing education. In some states, there is a large variety of individual CE courses while other states only offer enough options to meet the state’s requirements.
Unique Offerings
In addition to a continuing education package every state, McKissock offers a monthly CE membership. This membership gives you access to all CE courses in your state as well as a webinar library, extra instructional videos, product and service discounts, and more than 100 job aides to run your real estate business.
McKissock is also the only accredited real estate school that allows you to purchase a package, whether it’s for CE, prelicensing, or post-licensing, then pick and choose the classes included. This keeps the cost of real estate education affordable and allows you to focus on topics that will help you grow as a real estate professional.
McKissock Customer Support
There are more contact methods for McKissock than any other school. You can call or text during normal business hours, but you can also get support by email or one of its many online contact forms. If you need to swap a course, request a proctored exam, get a receipt, or get a copy of your certificate, you can fill out specific forms to expedite support. It also has an extensive frequently asked questions (FAQs) page to answer general questions.
What McKissock Is Missing
McKissock only offers classes online and in text format. Although access to an instructor can help you, this may not be the best method of learning for all real estate professionals. If you prefer video or need more interaction, you should check out Kaplan’s offerings.
What Users Think About McKissock
On each of McKissock’s course pages, there is a place for previous students to leave a review and for prospective students to ask a question. This can help you see what users have said about your state’s specific courses. On average, students rated its classes 4.4 stars and stated that McKissock’s courses were easy to follow, and having an instructor helped them learn more easily. Learn more on our McKissock reviews page.
Where to Find McKissock
McKissock is the best school for agents and brokers who want to customize its real estate education packages. You can read more about the courses McKissock offers in your state and sign up for classes or membership here.
OnCourse Learning: Best for Personalized Study Plans and Pass Guarantee
OnCourse Learning is an online real estate school accredited by ARELLO and IDECC that offers various real estate courses as well as an exam prep course that costs $59. When you use its personalized study plan, Prep xL, it offers a pass guarantee. OnCourse is best for students who want personalized exam preparation and assurance that their education will help them pass their licensing exam.
OnCourse Learning Pricing
Although there is a very wide range of prices from OnCourse, its courses are generally on the lower end. Individual CE courses are as little as $18 each, while prelicensing courses range from $103 in California to $423 in Colorado. In Virginia, you can get a full 16-hour CE package for $59.
OnCourse Learning Features
OnCourse Learning’s ARELLO and IDECC-accredited online courses are offered in a few different formats. It offers prelicensing courses in some states but offers continuing education and exam prep in the highest number of states. Additionally, its exam prep tool, Prep xL, creates an individualized study plan for you and guarantees you will pass your real estate exam the first time, or you will get your exam fee refunded.
Course Format
OnCourse only offers online courses, but they are available in text, live online, or webinar formats. With all the courses, you have access to an instructor for questions. However, unlike Kaplan, you cannot see how each course is delivered before purchasing, so you won’t know what format you’ll receive. If it’s important to pick a specific type of class format, Kaplan is a better choice.
Course Variety
OnCourse has one of the widest varieties of courses. Only The CE shop offers more. Also, it is the only school to have both a national exam prep course and a state-specific exam prep course for every state. It also offers continuing education packages in 43 states, and courses to become a broker in six states. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer post-licensing courses in any state. To find courses in the most states, look at McKissock and Real Estate Express.
Unique Offerings
OnCourse Learning offers a specialized exam prep tool called Prep xL. Prep xL provides you with a personalized study plan and tailored practice questions to help you focus on your weaknesses and keep track of topic mastery. Its exam prep courses also include a real estate math course, flashcards, and exam tips. OnCourse guarantees that with Prep xL, you will pass your state licensing exam the first time, or you will get your exam fee refunded.
Real Estate Express is the only other school that offers a pass guarantee, but only if you purchase one of its Exam Prep Master courses. With OnCourse, Prep xL is included in its exam prep packages.
OnCourse Learning Customer Support
The customer service from OnCourse has similar availability to other real estate schools, but previous students have stated that it is especially responsive. You can contact them by phone during business hours Monday through Friday or through its online form. It has a live chat option, but it is available during limited hours. For 24/7 tech support, try Kaplan.
What OnCourse Learning Is Missing
OnCourse does not offer post-licensing courses in any state. Even though it offers some classes in webinar form or live video, students cannot find that information before purchasing its course. For more clarity on course formats, Kaplan would be a better choice.
What Users Think About OnCourse Learning
Overall, OnCourse has a 4.5 rating on Indeed. Many previous students who left reviews like the course formats. Students also said it prepared them well for its exam and career. However, OnCourse students generally did not leave raving reviews like Kaplan’s students did. Learn more on our OnCourse reviews page.
Where to Find OnCourse Learning
OnCourse Learning is the best accredited real estate school for students looking for extensive exam prep help and, as part of that assistance, a pass guarantee. You can read more about its program here.
The CE Shop: Best for NAR Members
The CE Shop is an online school accredited by ARELLO that specializes in continuing education but offers a variety of courses; individual classes start at $19. It is the only school to offer packages that include the NAR-required ethics class for Realtors. Given this focus, The CE Shop is best for real estate professionals wanting to complete CE and NAR requirements simultaneously.
The CE Shop Pricing
The CE Shop’s individual courses are often as low as $19. The full CE package price can range between $49 in West Virginia to $185 in Rhode Island, including the ethics course. Prelicensing and post-licensing packages tend to be more expensive, and range between $181 in Georgia and $875 in Tennessee.
The CE Shop Features
All CE Shop courses are online and in text format. It offers ARELLO-accredited real estate courses for the highest number of states, concentrated in continuing education. Since many of its course packages include an ethics course required by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), it is a great school choice for Realtors.
Course Format
The CE Shop does not offer a variety of course formats or give you access to an instructor, as Kaplan and McKissock do. All courses are online and made up of text with limited pictures. However, the organization of its material helps students easily follow along and understand difficult concepts.
Course Variety
The CE Shop offers tremendous variety in its CE courses; it has individual courses for every state and CE packages in a majority of states. It also offers prelicensing courses in 30 states, exam prep in 49 states, post-licensing courses in 20 states, and broker classes in eight states.
Unique Offerings
The CE Shop is the only real estate school that includes a NAR-approved ethics course in most of its CE packages. Its website states that you have to double-check that your local Realtor association will accept this course, however. If you are a member of NAR, this is an ideal way to complete its requirements and your required CE hours at the same time.
The CE Shop Customer Support
The CE Shop is available by live chat, email, and phone seven days a week. Kaplan is available for tech support 24/7, but its student support is only available during business hours. That makes the CE Shop the most accessible real estate school on our list for course-related support.
What The CE Shop Is Missing
The CE Shop is missing different course formats. Although it has made its text courses as engaging as possible, it can still be difficult for some students to learn this way. If having different course formats is important to you, consider Kaplan or OnCourse.
What Users Think About The CE Shop
Previous students on Trustpilot have stated that The CE Shop takes difficult, mundane information and makes it digestible easily by breaking it down into small sections. Even though it doesn’t offer different course formats like Kaplan or OnCourse, it has an extremely high rate of customer satisfaction and 4.7 stars.
Where to Find The CE Shop
The CE Shop is the best accredited real estate school for Realtors who want to complete NAR and state-required education courses in one place. You can see what courses and packages it offers on its website.
Real Estate Express: Best for High-quality Customer Support
Real Estate Express is an online real estate school offering courses for prelicensing, exam prep, and post-licensing starting at $99. It is accredited by ARELLO and IDECC, boasts multiple support contact methods, and offers a satisfaction guarantee. Given these features, Real Estate Express is the best choice for professionals wanting an accredited real estate school with high-quality customer support.
Real Estate Express Pricing
Prelicensing courses from Real Estate Express can range from $135 in Virginia to $637 in Texas. Its Exam Prep Master course costs $99 in all states. The offer post-licensing courses in nine states, with prices from $99 in Georgia to $329 in Kentucky.
As with all real estate schools, the price of each course will depend on the number of required hours in your state. If you’re looking for prelicensing, Real Estate Express is a good choice because there are four different package options, so you can choose the best price for your budget.
Real Estate Express Features
All of the ARELLO and IDECC-accredited courses from Real Estate Express are online and primarily made up of text. It offers many different package options in approved states, so you can choose the best fit for your budget and needs. It is also the only school to offer a satisfaction guarantee so that you can get a refund if you are unhappy with your purchase.
Course Format
All courses from Real Estate Express are online and text-based. Some courses include video, but these are few and far between. Real Estate Express also gives students access to an instructor by email. Additionally, with some course packages, you have the option to attend a weekly question-and-answer session.
Course Variety
Although The CE Shop and OnCourse offer courses in more states, Real Estate Express offers more package variety to prospective real estate professionals. In each of the 34 states where Real Estate Expresses offers prelicensing, there are four different packages to choose from. You can choose only your state’s requirements or a combination of the required hours and various exam prep materials.
Although there is a CE course section on Real Estate Express’s website, the courses come from its partner, McKissock. You may be redirected to McKissock’s website without even noticing. Since these companies are partnered, make sure that you know exactly which school offers which courses.
Unique Offerings
Real Estate Express is the only school to offer a satisfaction guarantee. If you start working through a course but find it to be unhelpful, you have one week to contact its customer service to get your money back. If you don’t start the course, you have one month from your purchase date to request a refund.
Real Estate Express Customer Support
Real Estate Express has the most contact methods of any course provider on our list. You can contact the school through live chat, email, phone, or through one of its five specified contact forms. If you haven’t enrolled in a class yet, you can call or email an enrollment supervisor with your questions.
Even though Kaplan has a tech support team available 24/7, Real Estate Express offers many more ways to contact the school before and after the purchase. Many previous customers have expressed that they received unparalleled customer support when contacting Real Estate Express.
What Real Estate Express Is Missing
Real Estate Express does not offer a variety of course formats. Each one is almost completely made up of reading material. There are also still a large number of states where it doesn’t offer any prelicensing or post-licensing courses. For continuing education, you have to take classes from McKissock.
What Users Think About Real Estate Express
Since Real Estate Express offers so much customer support, most previous students on Indeed expressed that they were very happy with the customer service and access to an instructor. This resulted in an average rating of 4.3 stars. Some students noted that the amount of reading is very extensive, however, and even the videos that are included in courses are very dated and not helpful. Learn more on our Real Estate Express reviews page.
Where to Find Real Estate Express
The satisfaction guarantee and various types of customer service make Real Estate Express the best accredited real estate school for customer support. You can find out which courses are offered in your state here.
360 Training: Most Affordable Accredited Real Estate School
360 Training is an online school accredited by ARELLO and IDECC with training programs in various industries. It offers real estate prelicensing, post-licensing, exam prep, and CE in various states for prices lower than almost any other school; packages start at $75. At this price point, 360 Training is the best school for students who want real estate education for the lowest price.
360 Training Pricing
Course prices from all accredited real estate schools vary significantly, but 360 Training’s prices are lower overall. Prelicensing and post-licensing packages range from $75 in California to $397 in Texas. The same packages from Kaplan cost between $429 and $1,089.
360 Training Features
All courses from 360 Training are accredited by ARELLO and IDECC and are offered online in text format. It offers prelicensing, exam prep, post-licensing, and continuing education classes in many states. It also offers a real estate designation specifically for Georgia agents and one for agents all around the country who want to focus on their math skills.
Course Format
360 Training only offers courses online as reading material. Unlike Kaplan, there are no videos or any live classes and, unlike McKissock, there is no instructor support. Its courses are available on its website, so you can access them on any device that has an internet connection.
Course Variety
360 Training offers prelicensing courses in 10 states, exam prep in 15 states, CE in 32 states, and post-licensing in four states. While it does offer course packages in a few states, most of its offerings are individual courses. If you’re looking for course packages with additional support and resources, Kaplan and Real Estate Express would be better choices.
Unique Offerings
There are two real estate designations you can get from 360 Training. The first is strictly for Georgia real estate agents, titled “Build a Successful Georgia Real Estate Career.” The second is “Real Estate Math,” which is available to real estate professionals in any state for $60. It helps students feel confident in using math as it relates to their business.
360 Training Customer Support
You can contact 360 Training by phone, email, or live chat during its regular business hours. Although it does not give you access to an instructor during your course, you can open a support ticket and ask a question of a real estate expert.
What 360 Training Is Missing
360 Training is a great way to take required real estate courses for a low price, but you will not receive any extra support or engaging coursework. It also doesn’t offer courses in a majority of US states. If cost is not your biggest concern, you will get more course options from OnCourse or The CE Shop, and more support from Real Estate Express.
What Users Think About 360 Training
Previous students on Trustpilot have said that 360 Training’s courses were easy to navigate and understand, but were missing depth, which is probably why its overall rating is 3.9. One student pointed out that courses give you a general understanding of topics rather than diving in. Students have also said that although its customer service is very helpful, they can be very slow to respond. Learn more on our 360 Training reviews page.
Bottom Line
Finding an accredited real estate school that fits your needs can be overwhelming because of each state’s various requirements. To help, we reviewed many schools and chose the top six based on its ARELLO and IDECC accreditations as well as its state-approved courses, course formats, customer support, customer reviews, and prices.
Based on the criteria above, our pick for the best overall accredited real estate school is Kaplan Real Estate Education. Not only does it offer a variety of course formats and additional business resources, but it also has outstanding customer support. Learn more about Kaplan’s many offerings and sign up today.
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