Instead of just giving you the best California online real estate school, I’m going to give you reviews of the top 7 highest rated online real estate schools in California. Just in case you don’t like my top picks for the best California online real estate school, I will also supply you with a full list of every online real estate school you can take in the state of California.
Back when I was first considering obtaining my real estate license online in California, I noticed there are a TON of schools to choose from. This was both good news and bad. It was good news because I knew given my current life situation, taking a real estate course in a classroom was out of the question. Having so many California online real estate schools to choose from was refreshing. But then I had to make a choice on which of those schools were best. That’s when I started to feel overwhelmed.
Fast Answer: The Top 3 Online Real Estate Schools In California
To help save you some time researching, I created this guide in the hopes you can more easily find the best real estate school for your needs. The truth is, there isn’t really one single best California online real estate school. Everyone has different learning styles, so the best real estate school for me might not be the best one for you.
What I suggest is to check out each of the schools on my list of the 8 best California online real estate schools and decide for yourself which one is best for your needs. I provided detailed reviews for each school to help you more easily compare them. And finally, just in case you don’t like my specific recommendations, you can check out every online real estate school approved in California in my master list.
So, let’s get started!
What Is The Best California Online Real Estate School? The Top 8 Picks
After extensive research into every online real estate school in California, here are the ones I’ve determined to be the absolute highest quality. These reviews of these real estate schools in California are based on several factors including student pass rates, content delivery formats, ease-of-use, customer support, how updated the course content is, and feedback from both online reviews as well as what I hear from those who have just gone through their online training.
# 1: Aceable Real Estate School
In my opinion, Aceable Real Estate School is without a doubt the best online real estate school in California. I’d go as far as saying nothing else comes close. Interestingly enough, Aceable Real Estate School is the most recent online real estate school in California to be approved by the California Department of Real Estate. You may be surprised that my first recommendation is the most recent school to be approved, but that’s exactly what makes them the best.
and have plans to continue to expand over the next few years. In some states, Aceable offers a mobile app for their course, but in other states, like California, their offering is an online textbook. The textbook can conveniently be accessed from any device or printed and taken offline.
Aceable Real Estate School also has very straightforward content delivery methods. Their California real estate course uses PDF documents to deliver the information, so there’s no complications or boring videos to sit through. You can choose to read the PDF on your computer, tablet or phone or even print out the material and physically highlight important sections, key vocabulary or main takeaways. Course assessments are taken online through Aceable’s student portal.
In the end, though, it’s all about passing your California pre-license exam as quickly as possible, and again Aceable Real Estate School has proven they are solid. Aceable even offers an Ace the Test Guarantee, which means that if you don’t pass your test, they’ll refund your money. Unfortunately, the state of California does not require real estate schools to publicly disclose their student pass rates. However, the first state that Aceable was ever approved in was the state of Texas, and they DO require schools to disclose that information. Aceable consistently ranks among the best schools in the state. The vast majority of students who sign up for Aceable pass their real estate license exam on the very first try. If I was signing up for a real estate school today, Aceable would be my top choice without a doubt. Check out my full Aceable review here.
AceableAgent Video Review
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#2: Colibri Real Estate
For full disclosure, this is the school I personally used to obtain my real estate license. Colibri Real Estate is probably the single most popular online real estate school in California. This also happens to be one of the more affordable options. They have several different packages to choose from depending on how detailed you want your training to be. The very basic package will give you the bare minimum, but it includes absolutely everything that is required by the state of California. Each package above that will give you something a little extra. You can click here to check out updated prices on the different packages currently offered. I personally signed up for the highest package as I wanted the best chance to succeed. I also wanted access to physical textbooks that I could highlight and take notes in, which was only offered in the highest package when I signed up.
As with any California online real estate school, it includes three 45-hour California pre-license courses that make up the 135 hours required for your California real estate license. The packages include your mandatory California Real Estate Principles and California Real Estate Practice courses, and you can select from six different elective courses to round out your 135 required pre-licensing course hours. Higher packages will give you access to the Exam Prep Master which provides practice exams that are very similar to what you’ll have to take for the official real estate license exam in California.
If you step up again, you’ll get access to the live training sessions, which I very highly recommend. This is where you can join a “virtual classroom” and ask questions of a knowledgeable instructor. While you will have access to a personal instructor via email, sometimes it’s nice to ask a question and get an answer right away. The highest package gives you the physical textbooks I was talking about, along with a 1yr professional development program to help you get your career off to a good start.
Every package except the first one gives you a money-back guarantee that you’ll pass your real estate exam on the very first try. Colibri Real Estate has an excellent student pass rate that typically exceeds 70%. The industry average is pretty low at around 50%, so they do a significantly better job than just about any other California online real estate school you can sign up for. Ultimately, that’s why I decided to sign up for Colibri Real Estate and I’m glad I did. They got me my California real estate license!
Colibri Real Estate Video Review
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#3: The CE Shop
The CE Shop is an award-winning company that offers professional training online in a number of different career fields, but their specialty is in real estate education. Of every California online real estate school I’ve reviewed here, this one simply feels among the most modern. If you plan on studying from your smartphone or other mobile devices, The CE Shop is one of the best California online real estate schools for you.
While I’ve been unable to confirm this number, The CE shop boasts a whopping 91% pass rate for students, meaning 91% of students who take The CE Shop pass their California real estate license exam. This is an insane number, and probably makes them the most successful online real estate school in California simply based on student pass rates. They are confident enough that they guarantee you’ll pass your California real estate exam on the very first try.
One thing I really like about The CE Shop are their “real world scenarios” that you’ll find in the course. After going through some of the course material, you’ll be greeted with a real-world scenario on how the information you just learned would apply in the real world. And yes, you’ll have to make a decision on how to handle that scenario.
I also really like the supplemental material they offer. It’s always nice to see an online real estate school go above and beyond just the bare minimum requirements. From downloadable reference materials to math handbooks and access to knowledgeable instructors, they offer all of that in addition to the regular course material.
Another unique aspect of The CE Shop is they offer a 5 day trial that is actually no-risk. You do not need to give them your credit card information in order to access the free trial. You can simply sign up here and you can start taking the course absolutely free. This is a great way for you to decide for yourself whether you like the CE Shop as you can perform your own review of sorts. I don’t know why more California online real estate schools offer this. Seems like a no-brainer.
In any case, if you’re looking for a modern, updated, mobile-friendly online real estate course in California that has a very high student success rate, this is a great one to consider.
The CE Shop Video Review
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#4 RealEstateU
When doing some research, you probably realized that there’s a significant number of schools that always highlight “interactive” content. However, not all students prefer the bells and whistles of an interactive lesson.
If you’re someone who wants straightforward content that can be finished quickly, then RealEstateU is a great option.
It comes with audio lessons that you can follow along with your workbook. And it isn’t just blocks of text, too. There are beautifully designed infographics to help you retain the key concepts.
What’s more, RealEstateU promises flexibility in its program. And by flexible, they mean in terms of accessibility and course formats.
You can access RealEstateU on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. And the pages and learning materials are user-friendly no matter the screen size.
As for the course format, you can simply listen in on your lessons. So if you have places to be or you know you can multitask, you can simply tune into the lesson whenever and wherever!
And if you need refreshers on what you’ve listened to, RealEstateU provides a lot of text and visual materials. Included in their program are 29 infographics on key concepts, a course workbook with summaries and key terms, a California Supporting Documents licensing guide, and a downloadable glossary.
How much is the program? It’s only $149!
Yes, for that cheap price, you’ll have a 135-hour program with all the inclusions I’ve shared above. I have to admit, this is such a steal price!
So if you need a school that can cater to your lifestyle or if you’re a bit strapped for cash, RealEstateU should be on your list.
Get The Best Price On RealEstateU Here
#5: Rockwell Institute
Rockwell Institute is an excellent choice if you’re taking your real estate license training seriously. They’ve been teaching newcomers of the real estate industry since 1974, so they have had a lot of time and practice on best teaching methods.
A very common complaint about online real estate schools is how mundane and boring they are. Most online real estate schools in California consist of page after page of plain text. It is very difficult to stay engaged with the course content when every page is just a wall of text, so Rockwell decided to do things a little differently. Most pages offer multiple ways of delivering content. Sure, you’ll have the plain ol’ text, but you also have visual aids, charts, graphs, and other features to help you retain the information you’ll need to know to pass your exam.
Rockwell gives you everything you need to pass, from the state-required license training to test prep tools that will help prepare you for the real thing. They also provide some of the best customer service in the industry. If you get stuck on anything, you can email or even call them. Rockwell employs actual real estate experts and those who have years of experience in the industry. The course content is written by experts and the customer service staff is well trained to help get you through the tougher aspects of passing the course. Bottom line is they truly want you to succeed and their service reflects that.
There are a couple different packages offered at Rockwell. The first package is known as the Salesperson’s Correspondence package. This is a budget-friendly package that is geared more towards those who like the traditional textbook approach. With this package, you will review your course material by using textbooks, then go online to pass your quizzes and the final exams. The second package is a bit more expensive, but it can be completed entirely online. Both packages include courses in real estate principles, real estate practice, a 45-hour elective, and a cram course to help wrap everything up at the end.
Rockwell is so confident that you’ll pass your real estate exam on the first try that they offer a guarantee you’ll pass. Just pass the practice exams with a score of 80% or higher and if you fail the state exam, you’ll be refunded the cost of the exam.
Video Demo Of Rockwell Institute
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#6: Kaplan Real Estate Education
Of every California online real estate school review that I’ve listed here, Real Estate Education by Kaplan is probably the only one that you’ve known about since before you were interested in real estate. Kaplan is a very well known professional development company with physical courses and learning centers in all 50 states. In fact, if you wanted to take a classroom-based real estate course, Kaplan has that available in many areas of California.
Kaplan is very well recognized in the industry as they’ve been around since before the internet even existed. They boast some of the highest qualified instructors who also teach in their classroom-based programs.
While Kaplan is a bit more expensive than the other online real estate schools I’ve reviewed here, they are also offer the most qualified instructors out of any other online real estate course in California. Their instructors consist of published real estate authors and some of the best selling real estate agents that California has ever seen.
Brightwood also offers more in their basic packages than most other online real estate schools such as virtual interactive study groups. With their higher packages, you get access to online videos or even live virtual classes if you go with their top package.
Brightwood Real Estate Education by Kaplan has a student success rate of over 80%, making them one of the highest rated online real estate courses in California simply based on how well students perform on their actual real estate license exam.
I found that the Brightwood real estate program feels a little outdated and doesn’t work the best on mobile devices, however, based on their quality instructors and their very high student pass rate, this is absolutely an option that you should consider.
Kaplan Real Estate School Video Review
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#7: Allied Real Estate School
Allied Real Estate School has been providing real estate education in California for over 25 years and they are one of the most recognized names in the industry. I personally have found that Allied is a little bit outdated as compared to the other reviews I’ve listed here, but it remains one of the most popular online real estate schools in California, so I figured I’d add this to the list as well.
While Allied Real Estate School has the lowest student pass rate of all the California online real estate schools I’ve listed here, they offer a very unique guarantee. If you do not pass your California real estate license exam on the very first try, they will give you 110% of your money back as long as you signed up for one of their premium packages.
If you don’t want to sign up for an entire package, you have the flexibility to choose courses a-la-carte as you progress, which can help spread the payments out over a period of time. They also offer some pretty decent supplemental packages such as the “super prep exam questions” which simulates the actual real estate exam in California, flashcards to help you memorize important information, and what they call the Exam Cram DVD which they send you in the mail if you sign up for a higher tier package.
While I wouldn’t say this California online real estate school is my #1 pick, it will fulfill all of your requirements to obtain your real estate license online and it remains one of the most popular online real estate schools in the state.
Allied Real Estate School Video Review
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#8: OnlineEd
OnlineEd has been around since 1998, so they have quite a bit of experience. They offer online training programs for several different industries in addition to their real estate courses. Just like any other modern online real estate license course, the course is mobile-friendly. You can also log into or out of the course whenever you want and switch between devices. They do not offer a downloadable mobile app, but since this is mostly a text-based course, you shouldn’t have any issues using your phones web browser.
OnlineEd has a few different packages you can sign up for. The prices are pretty reasonable compared to other online real estate schools in California. If you want to “pay as you go” you can select individual courses over a period of time instead of buying a package in one lump sum, however, it will be cheaper in the long run if you purchase a package.
As far as the course material itself, OnlineEd is a pretty basic real estate school. There isn’t much in the way of videos, animations, graphics, or interactive features. It’s mostly just plain text with quizzes after each section. Many students actually prefer this minimalist approach. The higher packages will give you access to additional study materials and exam prep programs. Every package gets you access to an assigned instructor if you need any help along the way
All in all, OnlineEd has proven themselves over several decades and while the course is pretty basic, it gets the job done at a pretty good price. You can also check out the OnlineEd course demo to get a better idea of how it works.
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Is Taking A California Online Real Estate School Better Than A Classroom?
While this is a personal decision, taking your California real estate class in an actual classroom is declining quite a bit in popularity as more and more people choose to study for their real estate license online. There really is not one good or bad way since student pass rates are about the same, if not better when using an online real estate school.
Classroom-based real estate schools in California do have their advantages. You get access to a physical instructor, you can network with other students, and many people prefer the traditional face-to-face interaction that you get from going to a physical classroom.
However, for most of us, we are transitioning from one career to another and already hold jobs. If having a job wasn’t enough, we also have to deal with the general things in life such as family commitments and other obligations. Taking a California online real estate school is the only answer for those of us who are busy, and let’s face it… Who isn’t busy these days?
A Full List Of Every State Approved California Online Real Estate School
While I strongly suggest you stick with one of my top recommended best online real estate schools in California, I also understand that you probably want to do your own research as well. I think you’ll find that my reviews and recommendations are pretty spot on, but just in case, here are all the options you have.
Top 8 Recommendations:
- AceableAgent
- Colibri Real Estate
- The CE Shop
- Mbition
- Rockwell Institute
- Kaplan
- Allied Real Estate School
- OnlineEd
Additional State Approved Online Real Estate Schools In California:
- 24/7 Real Estate License
- 360 Training
- AA Real Estate Schools
- ABC Real Estate School
- Accelerated Real Estate Schools
- Access License
- Accredited Real Estate Schools
- Advance Estate Realty
- Affinity Real Estate Services
- Americana College
- America West School Of Real Estate
- License Masters
- Easy 2 Pass
- CA Realty School
- CARE Licensing
- CES Real Estate School
- Chamberlin Real Estate School
- Charlie Krackeler Presents
- Cook Realty
- eLicense School
- First Tuesday Real Estate Educators
- License Solution
- Online License Pros
- Peak Real Estate Academy
- Premier Schools
- The Real Estate Centre
- The Realty Institute
- Real Estate And Loan Schools
- Starmax School
- Star License
- Tarbell Realtors