All real estate schools need to be approved by the state to offer valid courses for real estate education. However, some students prefer schools with additional industry accreditations 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.
Accredited schools offer students additional assurances that the education they receive meets long-standing educational principles and delivery standards from respected organizations. However, industry accreditation is not mandatory for real estate schools. There are many high-quality real estate schools that have successfully helped real estate agents and brokers get certified and build a career with and without additional accreditation.
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 | |
Aspiring agents looking for a school with the highest-quality customer support | |
Professionals who want a personalized study plan for exam prep | |
Established Realtors who need to complete an NAR-required ethics course along with state-required education | |
Agents and brokers who want to customize their bundled course packages | |
Budget-conscious agents who are looking for accredited real estate education |
How We Evaluated the Top Accredited Real Estate Schools
Real estate schools must meet each state’s 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. We carefully selected schools that met our criteria and have at least one accreditation from organizations like the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) and International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC).
These are the other criteria used to evaluate the best accredited real estate schools:
- Price
- Nationwide presence
- Course format
- Course variety
- Customer reviews
- Customer support
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 both ARELLO and IDECC, and offers prelicensing, exam prep, continuing education, and post-licensing courses in 23 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
What it is: Kaplan Real Estate Education is a national real estate school that offers online and in-person courses in 23 states and is accredited by ARELLO and IDECC.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: Kaplan supports the most variety of learning styles, allowing students to pursue their education in the course format that works best for them. Courses are available online, in person, in a live webinar, or through home study with a hard copy textbook. With this variety, Kaplan is best for real estate professionals who want to choose a course format that fits with their unique learning style.
Pros of Kaplan | Cons of Kaplan |
|---|---|
Most course format variety | Most expensive courses on our list |
Most course package options | Cannot customize package options |
Only school to offer career intensives | Only offers courses in 23 states |
Kaplan Pricing
- Prelicensing in California: Ranges from $399 to $749
- Prelicensing in Florida: Ranges from $245 to $295
- Prelicensing in Texas: Ranges from $389 to $1,089
- Prelicensing in New York: Ranges from $379 to $909
Kaplan Features
- ARELLO and IDECC accreditations
- Courses are offered online, live webinar, video, in-person, or through home study
- Large variety of package options
- Extensive career-support packages
- Tech support is available 24/7
- Customer support is available by phone or email during business hours
- Six months of course access
What Students Say 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, and that the practice quizzes and study tools were especially helpful when studying. Learn more on our Kaplan reviews page.
Real Estate Express: Best for High-quality Prelicensing Support
What it is: Real Estate Express is an online real estate school offering courses for prelicensing in 34 states as well as exam prep, post-licensing, and career support. It is a partner of McKissock Learning.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: Real Estate Express offers a satisfaction guarantee, a pass guarantee, and provides multiple support contact methods for students entering the real estate industry. Given these features, Real Estate Express is the best choice for professionals preparing for the initial licensing exam who want an accredited real estate school with high-quality customer support.
Pros of Real Estate Express | Cons of Real Estate Express |
|---|---|
Only school to offer a satisfaction guarantee within one week | No course format variety |
Exam prep courses include a pass or don’t pay guarantee | Only offers CE courses through McKissock |
High satisfaction rates from students |
Real Estate Express Pricing
- Prelicensing in California: Ranges from $119 to $449
- Prelicensing in Florida: Ranges from $117 to $399
- Prelicensing in Texas: Ranges from $507 to $797
- Prelicensing in New York: Ranges from $245 to $474
Real Estate Express Features
- Accredited by ARELLO and IDECC
- All courses are online
- Varying course package options available in each state
- Some prelicensing packages include a pass or don’t pay guarantee
- Exam prep courses include extra study tools and career support
- Instructor is available by email for questions
- Satisfaction guarantee within one week of starting your course, or 30 days from purchase if you do not open your course
- Customer support available through live chat, email, phone, or one of its five specific forms
- Question and answer forum directly on the course pages
- Streamlined communication systems
- 12 months of course access
What Students Say About Real Estate Express
Since Real Estate Express provides so much customer support, most previous students on Indeed expressed that they were very happy with the customer service and access to an instructor. Some students noted that the amount of reading is very extensive. Learn more on our Real Estate Express reviews page.
Mbition – Learn Real Estate: Best for Personalized Study & Exam Preparation
What it is: Mbition – Learn Real Estate, previously OnCourse Learning, is an online real estate school that offers real estate prelicensing, CE, post-licensing, and a unique exam prep tool.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: Mbition – Learn Real Estate offers a personalized exam prep option, called Prep xL, that helps students focus on the areas of real estate where they most need help and includes a pass guarantee. This makes Mbition a great option for professionals who don’t want to waste their time or their money on topics they already excel in.
Pros of Mbition - Learn Real Estate | Cons of Mbition - Learn Real Estate |
|---|---|
Prep xL tool offers a pass guarantee | No course format variety |
Only school to offer a national and state-specific exam prep option | Only offers prelicensing or post-licensing in a few states |
Exam prep courses include additional study tools |
Visit Mbition – Learn Real Estate
Mbition – Learn Real Estate Pricing
- Exam prep in California: Ranges from $49 to $129
- Exam prep in Florida: Ranges from $55 to $129
- Exam prep in Texas: Ranges from $79 to $129
- Exam prep in New York: Ranges from $59 to $129
- Discounts: Offered frequently
Mbition – Learn Real Estate Features
- Accredited by ARELLO and IDECC
- Exam prep packages are offered in every state
- Instructors are available for questions
- All courses are online and text-based
- Offers continuing education (CE) packages in 43 states
- Customer support is available by phone on live chat during business hours
- Six months of course access
What Students Say About Mbition – Learn Real Estate
OnCourse Learning, the real estate course provider under Mbition, has a high rating of 4.4 rating on Indeed. Previous students noted that customer service was extremely responsive and helpful, and that the courses prepared them well for its exam and career. Learn more about this school by visiting our Mbition – Learn Real Estate.
The CE Shop: Best for Realtors Needing Post-licensing Education
What it is: The CE Shop is an online school that provides real estate professionals with prelicensing, exam prep, post-licensing, and continuing education courses.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: All CE courses from The CE Shop include the NAR-required ethics class for Realtors for an affordable price along with the greatest menu of a la carte continuing education courses. Given this focus, The CE Shop is best for established real estate professionals and members of the National Association of Realtors who want to complete unique CE courses and NAR requirements simultaneously.
Pros of The CE Shop | Cons of The CE Shop |
|---|---|
Largest variety of continuing education course options | No instructor access |
Affordable prices | No course format variety |
Only school to offer a five-day free trial | Limited prelicensing options |
The CE Shop Pricing
- Continuing Education in California: Ranges from $19 to $59
- Continuing Education in Florida: Ranges from $9 to $19
- Continuing Education in Texas: Ranges from $29 to $139
- Continuing Education in New York: Ranges from $9 to $129
- Free trial: Five days
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
The CE Shop Features
- Accredited by ARELLO
- Offers CE with the NAR requirement in every state
- CE courses have the most variety of topic and package options
- All courses are online
- Customer support available by live chat, email, and phone seven days a week
- 12 months of course access
What Students Say 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. Learn more on our CE Shop reviews page.
McKissock: Best for Bundled CE Course Customization
What it is: McKissock Learning is an online real estate school that specializes in providing accredited continuing education courses in every state.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: Unlike other real estate schools, which only offer CE packages with preselected course topics, McKissock lets you switch out individual courses for other topics even when you purchase a CE package. This makes McKissock best for existing real estate agents and brokers who prefer the convenience of bundled purchasing but still want some control over their individual course of study.
Pros of McKissock Learning | Cons of McKissock Learning |
|---|---|
Only school that allows you choose course topics within your package | No variety in course format |
Only school to offer a CE membership | Lacks video lessons |
One-on-one instructor support available | Only offers CE courses |
McKissock Pricing
- CE in California: Individual courses start at $16, packages range from $58 to $92
- CE in Florida: Individual courses start at $15, packages range from $20 to $57
- CE in Texas: Individual courses start at $30, packages range from $120 to $156
- CE in New York: Individual courses start at $25, packages range from $129 to $169
McKissock Features
- Accredited by ARELLO and IDECC
- All courses are online and text-based
- An instructor is available for questions
- Monthly CE membership includes library of CE courses, bonus webinars, discounts, job aids, and more
- Continuing education courses available in every state
- Streamlined customer support is available by phone, email, or online form
- 12 months of course access
What Students Say About McKissock
On each of McKissock’s course pages, there is a place for previous students to leave a review for each 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.
360training: Most Affordable Accredited Real Estate School
What it is: 360training is an online school with training programs in various industries as well as affordable options for prelicensing, post-licensing, exam prep, and CE.
What makes it great for real estate professionals: 360training provides real estate education courses in various states for prices lower than almost any other school. At this price point, 360training is the best school for students who want accredited real estate courses for the lowest price.
Pros of 360training | Cons of 360training |
|---|---|
Most affordable real estate school | No course format variety |
Customer support available seven days a week | Lacks additional tools and resources |
Students say courses lack depth |
360training Pricing
- Prelicensing in California: Ranges from $79 to $115
- Prelicensing in Florida: Ranges from $79 to $145
- Prelicensing in Texas: Ranges from $299 to $375
- Prelicensing in New York: Ranges from $99 to $159
360training Features
- Accredited by ARELLO and IDECC
- All courses are online and text-based
- Packages and individual courses are available
- Instructor available for questions by email
- Customer support is available by phone, email, or live chat seven days a week
What Students Say About 360training
Previous students on Trustpilot have said that 360training’s courses were easy to navigate and understand, and give you a general understanding of topics. However, one student pointed out that courses could provide more in-depth details. Students have also said that although its customer service is very helpful, they can be very slow to respond. Learn more on our 360training reviews page.
Real Estate Schools by State
This guide features schools that have a presence in multiple states in order to serve the largest audience. However, some real estate schools operate under a franchise model, which can result in varying levels of service from location to location. In addition, each state sets its own specific requirements for real estate education, which can result in some schools being a better option for a particular geographic area than others.
You can check out the following guides to see what schools are best for specific states:
You can also see more reviews on other schools, not featured here, that might be in your area by visiting our online real estate schools reviews page
Bottom Line
Finding an accredited real estate school that fits your needs can be confusing 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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