Course provider comparison · Updated July 10, 2026

Best online real estate schools (2026): honest comparison

We compared the six biggest online real estate schools on the things that actually matter — where they're approved, what enrollment really costs, whether the pass guarantee works in your state, and how they refund you if it doesn't fit. Below the matrix, each school gets an honest profile with its strongest argument and its weakest one.

How we researched this

Prices, refund policies, state coverage, and guarantees pulled from the official school sites in July 2026. Where a school's pricing loads via JavaScript, we cross-checked against third-party reviews and noted it.
Pass-rate claims are labeled self-reported unless the school cites a state regulator (e.g. Texas TREC publishes objective first-attempt pass rates by provider).
Affiliate disclosure: not every link on this page is an affiliate link. Only The CE Shop pays us a commission today. The other five link out to plain homepages while those partnerships are pending. See our full disclosure.
State fees (application, exam, fingerprints) are not included in the prices below. Budget roughly $150–$300 in state fees on top.

Full comparison matrix

Scroll horizontally on mobile. All figures list prices before sitewide promos — 30–50% off runs almost continuously.

Online real estate schools compared on states covered, price, formats, pass guarantee, refund policy, and standout strength.
School	States covered	Price range	Formats	Pass guarantee	Refund policy	Standout strength
The CE ShopTop pick Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in ~40+ states; CE & post-licensing in all 50 states + DC	$139–$1,169 (varies by state and package)	• Self-paced online (LEAP interactive platform)	Yes (conditional)	30 days, if <50% complete	Deepest catalog across the full license lifecycle — pre-license, exam prep, post-license, and CE in all 50 states — with well-regarded interactive courseware.
Colibri Real Estate Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in ~40 states + DC (Florida served via sister school Gold Coast Schools)	Roughly $119–$749 list (heavy promo pricing, e.g. TX $498–$748 list, $299–$449 with 40% off)	• Self-paced online • Livestream (instructor-led) in select states • Printed textbook in Ultimate Learning tier	Yes (excl. FL/MI/TN/NJ)	30 days (self-paced); 24h (livestream)	Largest-scale brand (1.5M+ students, formerly Real Estate Express), with real livestream classes, local instructors, and Pass or Don't Pay on most tiers.
Kaplan Real Estate Education Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in ~30–32 states; standalone exam prep in ~34 states; CE nationwide	Most pre-licensing packages ~$300–$800 (varies widely by state and format)	• Self-paced OnDemand video • Live online (livestream) classes • Textbook home-study	Limited (product-specific)	30 days, if not completed	The strongest true-instruction option: real livestream classes, experienced instructors, and three delivery formats including textbooks.
AceableAgent Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in 15 states (AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MI, NY, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA)	$149–$1,119 list (TX Basic $449 / Deluxe $649 / Premium $1,119; FL Basic $149; CA $179–$319)	• Self-paced online • Dedicated iOS/Android mobile app • Live exam-prep webinars via PrepAgent (Deluxe+)	Yes (Ace or Don't Pay)	30 days (satisfaction) + exam refund path	Best mobile-first learning experience, and the highest published TREC pass rate among large Texas providers (66% vs. 56% state average, as of 11/30/2025).
RealEstateU Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in ~12–14 states (NY, CA, TX, PA, MI, VA, GA, MO, FL, TN, NC, WA)	$69–$277 (FL 63-hr $69; CA 135-hr $99 or $277 bundle; TX 180-hr $249)	• Self-paced online (audio-lecture + slide format with downloadable PDFs)	None	30 days (conditions apply)	Cheapest legitimate path to license hours in its states — often 50–80% below the big brands.
OnlineEd Read profile ↓	Pre-licensing in ~8 states (AZ, CA, FL, GA, KS, NV, OR, WA); flagship is the Oregon 150-hr broker course. CE via partners in most states.	Pricing varies — check current offers	• Self-paced online • Optional textbook bundles (e.g., Oregon)	None	Varies — see site terms	Budget West Coast specialist — one of the strongest and cheapest options specifically for Oregon (and a CAR education partner in California).

School-by-school profiles

One card per school. Strengths and weaknesses are our editorial call — take both seriously.

The CE Shop

Pre-licensing in ~40+ states; CE & post-licensing in all 50 states + DC

Our top pickAffiliate link

Price range: $139–$1,169 (varies by state and package)
Pass guarantee: Money-back Pass Guarantee on packages that include Exam Prep Edge (Standard/Value/Premium). Requires passing three Exam Prep Edge practice exams at 80%+ before failing the state exam. Restricted or unavailable in ~10 states (AL, FL, HI, KS, LA, MI, MS, MO, PA, TN).
Refund policy: 30 days from purchase, for any reason, provided the course isn't expired and no more than 50% complete.

Standout strength

Deepest catalog across the full license lifecycle — pre-license, exam prep, post-license, and CE in all 50 states — with well-regarded interactive courseware.

Weakness to know

Higher list prices that lean on constant 30–40% promo codes; no livestream classes, printed textbooks, or dedicated mobile app.

Pass-rate claim (self-reported): Self-reported ~64% national student pass rate vs. a ~52% national average. Widely cited by the company; not independently audited.

In-house Affiliate Partner Program (~10% commission). We use an affiliate link.

Visit The CE Shop →Read our full CE Shop review →

Colibri Real Estate

Pre-licensing in ~40 states + DC (Florida served via sister school Gold Coast Schools)

Non-affiliate link

Price range: Roughly $119–$749 list (heavy promo pricing, e.g. TX $498–$748 list, $299–$449 with 40% off)
Pass guarantee: 'Pass or Don't Pay' on Exam Preparation, Exam Preparation Plus, and Ultimate Learning tiers. Requires 80%+ on three simulated exams, then failing the state exam on the first try within 30 days. Not permitted in FL, MI, TN, or NJ. The Basics tier is excluded.
Refund policy: 30 days from purchase for self-paced courses if not completed. Livestream refunds only within 24 hours of the first class (7 days for NJ). $50 withheld on packages including printed textbooks.

Standout strength

Largest-scale brand (1.5M+ students, formerly Real Estate Express), with real livestream classes, local instructors, and Pass or Don't Pay on most tiers.

Weakness to know

Aggressive upsell/promo-code pricing; guarantee excluded in several big states (including Florida); FL students are handed off to sister brand Gold Coast Schools.

Pass-rate claim (self-reported): No audited national first-attempt rate published. Third-party reviews cite ~75–80% self-reported pass rates for course completers. Objective TREC data shows Colibri at 57% for TX sales-agent exams (as of 11/30/2025).

Public affiliate program (~20% commission). We currently link to Colibri's homepage without an affiliate tag.

Visit Colibri Real Estate →

Kaplan Real Estate Education

Pre-licensing in ~30–32 states; standalone exam prep in ~34 states; CE nationwide

Non-affiliate link

Price range: Most pre-licensing packages ~$300–$800 (varies widely by state and format)
Pass guarantee: No universal pass-or-don't-pay on pre-licensing. Kaplan markets its 'Kaplan Commitment' / money-back guarantee on select exam prep products, and 2026 packages advertise continued study support at no extra cost if you fail the first attempt. Terms vary by product and state.
Refund policy: 30 days from purchase for web-based, live, and paper-based courses, provided the course or class isn't completed.

Standout strength

The strongest true-instruction option: real livestream classes, experienced instructors, and three delivery formats including textbooks.

Weakness to know

Dated website/platform UX; less transparent pricing (JS-rendered, varies widely); no across-the-board pass guarantee.

Pass-rate claim (self-reported): No national first-attempt pass rate published. Kaplan cites exceeding state benchmarks (e.g., ~6.89% above Texas's required minimum) — treat as self-framed.

B2B Corporate Partnership Program only. No public consumer affiliate — our link is plain.

Visit Kaplan Real Estate Education →

AceableAgent

Pre-licensing in 15 states (AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MI, NY, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA)

Non-affiliate link

Price range: $149–$1,119 list (TX Basic $449 / Deluxe $649 / Premium $1,119; FL Basic $149; CA $179–$319)
Pass guarantee: 'Ace or Don't Pay': full refund if you fail the state licensing exam after three attempts (marketed on Deluxe/Premium tiers; state-law exclusions apply). Separate 30-day satisfaction guarantee applies to the course itself.
Refund policy: 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee on the course, plus the Ace or Don't Pay exam refund path on eligible tiers.

Standout strength

Best mobile-first learning experience, and the highest published TREC pass rate among large Texas providers (66% vs. 56% state average, as of 11/30/2025).

Weakness to know

Pre-licensing available in only 15 states; TX list prices are among the highest before discounts.

Pass-rate data (regulator-cited): Publishes a state-by-state pass-rates page citing regulator data (not a self-reported national number). Example: TX sales-agent pass rate 66% (5,604/8,516) vs. 56% state average, per TREC as of 11/30/2025.

Public Aceable Partners affiliate program (~20% commission, 30-day cookie). We currently link plain; affiliate URL will be swapped in.

Visit AceableAgent →

RealEstateU

Pre-licensing in ~12–14 states (NY, CA, TX, PA, MI, VA, GA, MO, FL, TN, NC, WA)

Non-affiliate link

Price range: $69–$277 (FL 63-hr $69; CA 135-hr $99 or $277 bundle; TX 180-hr $249)
Pass guarantee: No pass-or-don't-pay guarantee. Only the standard money-back refund window.
Refund policy: 30-day money-back guarantee, conditions apply (course must not be completed / certificate not issued).

Standout strength

Cheapest legitimate path to license hours in its states — often 50–80% below the big brands.

Weakness to know

Bare-bones audio/slide format with no guarantee, little support, and exam prep sold separately.

No verifiable public affiliate program as of July 2026. Our link is plain.

Visit RealEstateU →

OnlineEd

Pre-licensing in ~8 states (AZ, CA, FL, GA, KS, NV, OR, WA); flagship is the Oregon 150-hr broker course. CE via partners in most states.

Non-affiliate link

Price range: Pricing varies — check current offers
Pass guarantee: No pass-or-don't-pay guarantee advertised. Standard and Premium Oregon tiers include an exam simulator with unlimited attempts.
Refund policy: Refund terms live in OnlineEd's site Terms of Use and vary by course and state — verify directly before enrolling.

Standout strength

Budget West Coast specialist — one of the strongest and cheapest options specifically for Oregon (and a CAR education partner in California).

Weakness to know

Very limited state footprint, dated interface, and no pass guarantee.

B2B Value-Added Reseller program only. No consumer affiliate — our link is plain.

Visit OnlineEd →