2026 Best Value Real Estate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Real Estate](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/real-estate/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for real estate students.
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2026 Best Value Real Estate Schools in the Rocky Mountains 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 Colorado Mountain College, our #1 best value for real estate in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Mountain College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,616, compared with $12,840 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $12,953. Early-career real estate graduates make about $48,694. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Ogden Weber Technical College earned it the #2 place for real estate. Located in the city of Ogden, Ogden Weber Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Real Estate graduates of Ogden Weber Technical College earn a median of $28,434 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Community College Of Aurora earned it the #3 place for real estate. Located in the city of Aurora, Community College Of Aurora is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,470 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,070 for out-of-state students. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $15,365 in student loans. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from Community College Of Aurora generally make around $38,587. That is a strong return on a $15,365 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in real estate will find it at Bridgerland Technical College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Logan, Bridgerland Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of Bridgerland Technical College earn a median of $28,884 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Red Rocks Community College earned it the #5 place for real estate. Set in the suburb of Lakewood, Red Rocks Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,859, with out-of-state students paying around $17,459. Typical student debt for real estate graduates is $14,471. Real Estate graduates of Red Rocks Community College earn a median of $76,340 early in their careers. Set against $14,471 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Utah earned the #6 position for value in real estate this year. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,620, compared with $30,860 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,798 to complete the real estate program here. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from University Of Utah generally make around $95,940. That is a strong return on a $20,798 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Mesa State College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value real estate schools. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,124 for out-of-state students. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans. Early-career real estate graduates make about $43,617. Set against $22,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mesa State College admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Boulder placed #8 among the best values for real estate. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,214, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. Real Estate graduates carry a median of $20,373 in student loans. Soon after graduation, real estate degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $55,861. That is a strong return on a $20,373 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Denver landed the #9 spot for real estate value this year. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $61,398. Students borrow a median of $22,534 to complete the real estate program here. Real Estate graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $84,662 early in their careers. Set against $22,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Denver admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.