Top Real Estate MBAs: Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the fastest-growing cities in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Northwest real estate is rapidly expanding, with population increases (16.5-19.8 percent) in the these five metros:
- Greeley, CO
- George, UT
- Bend-Redmond, OR
- Provo-Orem, UT
- Boise, ID
While the Northwest is home to relatively few of the top-ranked MBA programs, the region makes up for a lack of quantity with quality—and specificity. Unbeknownst to many prospective b-schoolers pining for a tony school on the Eastern Seaboard, the American Northwest boasts a surprising number of excellent Real Estate-focused degrees.
Let’s take a closer look at the premiere options in the region:
The Top Northwest Real Estate MBA Programs
Located in Boulder, UC’s Leeds School of Business offers a traditional two-year full-time MBA with a real estate concentration. Noting its multi-disciplinary approach and the support of the CU Real Estate Center, the Leeds MBA real estate concentration offers a curriculum organized by industry focus, including the following courses:
- Sustainability & Real Estate
- Real Estate Finance
- Entrepreneurial Real Estate
In addition, the program offers a combination of “networking events, personal mentoring, conferences and competitions” to aid their MBA students in building their real estate industry careers. Annual tuition for in-state residents is $35,782, while out-of-state students can expect to pay $66,600.
Founded in 1908, the University of Denver Daniels College of Business organizes its MBA curriculum around a series of challenges that run concurrently with classes to provide students with a continually applied learning experience.
Students design a growth plan to monitor themselves so they can optimize their education and performance. Daniels offers a two-year, full-time MBA with a concentration in “Real Estate and the Built Environment.” With a customizable curriculum, annual tuition is $90,400.
Portland State University offers a Master’s of Real Estate Development that functions as an interdisciplinary program with PSU’s School of Business Administration, the School of Urban Studies and Planning, and the Center for Real Estate.
With 12-month full-time and 24-month part-time options, the curriculum includes courses in real estate fundamentals, a real-world capstone development project, fast tracks to professional licenses, and exposure to examples of sustainable urban development.
Annual tuition for in-state students is $37,800 full-time and $39,162 for out-of-state students, with residents of certain western states potentially eligible for tuition through WICHE and WRGP. Non-resident tuition is $45,555 full-time and $46,917 part-time for out-of-state students.
Nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range just outside of Salt Lake City, the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business offers a Master of Real Estate Development that emphasizes hands-on learning informed by and contributing to the research through the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center.
Students also have access to competitions such as the Utah Real Estate Challenge, weekly real estate labs, and professional mentorships. Study abroad opportunities and flexible, work-compatible schedules are also available. Annual tuition for Utah residents is $43,200 full-time and while non-residents can expect to pay $71,900.
In the University of Washington Foster School of Business full-time MBA program, students can take up to 16 credits worth of courses that are “non-MBA” coursework, of which includes real estate courses via the university’s College of Built Environments.
While some non-MBA courses at UW require pre-approval, the real estate course options do not require a a Non-MBA Class Request form. The total cost (tuition and fees)of the full-time program at UW’s Foster School of Business is currently $66,654 for in-state residents, and $96,666 for out-of-state residents. Prices are subject to change annually.