2026 Best Value Real Estate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Real Estate](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/real-estate/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong real estate education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 40 schools to find the best return on investment for real estate students.
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2026 Best Value Real Estate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in real estate, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Real Estate Schools
Leading the list is Lewis And Clark Community College, our #1 best value for real estate in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,340 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,840. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $9,602 in student loans. Early-career real estate graduates make about $41,313. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lorain County Community College earned it the #2 place for real estate. Lorain County Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Elyria. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,265, while out-of-state students pay about $8,860. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $17,611 in student loans. Real Estate graduates of Lorain County Community College earn a median of $40,095 early in their careers. Set against $17,611 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in real estate will find it at Sinclair Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,675, compared with $8,556 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $13,718. Real Estate graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of $34,934 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in real estate will find it at Cincinnati State Technical And Community College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,517, compared with $10,044 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,667 to complete the real estate program here. Early-career real estate graduates make about $47,975. That is a strong return on a $25,667 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Columbus State Community College one of the best values for real estate. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus State Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,488, with out-of-state students paying around $11,224. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $9,041 in student loans. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $39,435. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lakeland Community College earned the #6 position for value in real estate this year. Located in the suburb of Kirtland, Lakeland Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,872 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $9,235. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $19,857. Early-career real estate graduates make about $51,941. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Milwaukee Area Technical College earned the #7 position for value in real estate this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,184 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,427. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $18,296 in student loans. Real Estate graduates of Milwaukee Area Technical College earn a median of $38,325 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,296 median debt.
Edison State Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. Edison State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Piqua. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,499, while out-of-state students pay about $8,346. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $15,406 in student loans. Real Estate graduates of Edison State Community College earn a median of $43,481 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Zane State College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. Zane State College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Zanesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,006, while out-of-state students pay about $11,766. Students borrow a median of $9,405 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of Zane State College earn a median of $35,764 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,405 median debt.
Waukesha County Technical College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. Waukesha County Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,803, with out-of-state students paying around $7,046. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $16,595 in student loans. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from Waukesha County Technical College generally make around $46,398. Set against $16,595 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Clark State Community College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. Set in the city of Springfield, Clark State Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,393, while out-of-state students pay about $8,049. Students borrow a median of $20,740 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of Clark State Community College earn a median of $39,734 early in their careers. Set against $20,740 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Students borrow a median of $19,137 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of $66,254 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,137 median debt. The acceptance rate is 16%.
Southern State Community College came in at #13 for value in real estate this year. Set in the town of Hillsboro, Southern State Community College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,912, with out-of-state students paying around $10,818. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $15,282 in student loans. Early-career real estate graduates make about $45,611. Set against $15,282 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northwest State Community College landed the #14 spot for real estate value this year. Located in the rural area of Archbold, Northwest State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,698, while out-of-state students pay about $9,170. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $11,565. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from Northwest State Community College generally make around $45,123. That is a strong return on a $11,565 median debt.
University Of Wisconsin Madison placed #15 among the best values for real estate. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, while out-of-state students pay about $42,103. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $73,239. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee landed the #16 spot for real estate value this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,398, while out-of-state students pay about $22,398. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $24,637. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee generally make around $46,561. That is a strong return on a $24,637 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio State University Main Campus landed the #17 spot for real estate value this year. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,244 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,022. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $72,769 early in their careers. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #18 position for value in real estate this year. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,363 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,530 to complete the real estate program here. Early-career real estate graduates make about $58,659. That is a strong return on a $23,530 median debt. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Depaul University placed #19 among the best values for real estate. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,310 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $53,515 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,310 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 40 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
