4 best real estate schools in Maryland (MD) for 2026

by Sara Stover, Gina Baker

From Bethesda and Towson to Havre de Grace and Silver Spring, it’s now easier than ever to complete the required 60 hours of real estate prelicensing classes from the comfort of your own home in Maryland. Our guide to the best Maryland real estate schools will help you find the right online program to fit your goals, budget and learning style. With a variety of formats and study materials to choose from, we break down the best Maryland real estate schools and their course packages to help you successfully launch a new career in 2026.

4 best real estate schools in Maryland (MD) for 2026

Best for a flexible schedule

The CE Shop

From $269

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Best for value

Kaplan Real Estate Education

From $249

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VISIT

Best for course format variety

Weichert Real Estate School

From $220

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Best for weekend warriors

Colibri Real Estate

From $279

The CE Shop combines updated course content with an interactive approach to learning, which has been proven to be an incredibly effective method for retaining information. The CE Shop’s custom online learning platform, LEAP, engages students with real-world scenarios. Students appreciate The CE Shop’s features, support and intuitive interface so much that they’ve given the school a 96% student satisfaction rate.

Pros & Cons

Five-day trial with free unlimited access to all course content
Unlimited practice tests

No mobile app

Features

Course Formats: Online interactive.
Course Access: Six months from the date of purchase.
Pass Guarantee: With the CE Shop’s “Pass Guarantee,” prelicensing students can request a reimbursement of the cost of the initial licensing exam if a retake is required.
Student Support: Support is available seven days a week via live chat, email and phone.
Money Back Guarantee: With the CE Shop’s “Money Back Guarantee,” you can request your money back within 30 days of purchase, so long as the course is not more than 50% complete.
Exam Prep: The CE Shop offers comprehensive, interactive Exam Prep as part of the CE Standard, Value, and Premium packages. Packages include an initial assessment, after which the school’s interactive dashboard guides you through each topic while gauging your competency. Exam Prep also prepares you for the licensing exam through unlimited practice tests with unique questions.
Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. Prelicensing course exams must be passed with a minimum of 70% and may be taken a maximum of two times.

Pricing

The CE Shop’s prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.

Courses only ($269): 60 hours of prelicensing courses, e-books, career and downloadable resources, digital flashcards, glossary and study schedule.
Standard package ($369): Courses only, plus exam prep edge with national and MD-specific prep.
Value package ($445): Standard package, plus Kickstarter Professional Development Program.
Premium package ($689): Value package, plus 15-hour post-licensing courses and real estate e-textbooks.

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Kaplan Real Estate Education: Best for value

Starting price: $249

Kaplan has over 65 years of experience providing courses. They’ve helped thousands of students begin and advance their real estate careers. Graduates are impressed with the school’s high-quality prelicensing, exam prep and continuing education courses and the industry-expert instructors who teach them. Complemented by text-based content to reinforce key concepts, Kaplan’s online video courses feature multiple video segments with expert instructors.

Pros & Cons

Prelicensing tuition fee includes exam prep
National and state QBanks simulate most test environments, helping improve your exam score

You must have Zoom downloaded and installed on your computer/ laptop for live online portions of certain courses

Features

Course Formats: Self-paced online.
Course Access: Six months from the date of purchase to complete the course.
Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: For web-based courses and classes, Kaplan’s students are eligible for a full tuition refund within 30 days of purchase, but only if the class has not been completed.
Student Support: Customer or technical support staff are available to answer any of your questions via email, the chat feature, or phone during business hours. The student support team is also available via email or phone.
Exam Prep: When you enroll in one of Kaplan’s prelicensing online courses, you receive various levels of exam prep, depending on the package purchased. Kaplan also offers stand-alone Exam Prep Packages that include the National and Maryland Drill & Practice QBank. The National Drill & Practice QBank includes hundreds of questions on an advanced interactive testing platform. And the state Real Estate Drill & Practice QBank simulates nearly every test environment.
Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. Prelicensing final exams must be proctored.

Pricing

Kaplan’s prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. Kaplan’s post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.

Principles & Practice ($249): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online course includes Live Online National Interactive Study Group webinar for exam prep & Career Mentor Connect for professional development.
Principles & Practice w/ Exam Prep ($279): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online video course includes Principles & Practices features + MD and National Real Estate Drill & Practice QBank.
Career Launcher Package ($679): Required 60 hrs of MD coursework. Online video course includes Principles & Practices with Exam Prep + Accelerator video Course and Live Online Coaching.

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Weichert Real Estate School: Best for course format variety

Starting price: $220

For aspiring agents who need prelicensing courses or experienced agents who need continuing education, Weichert Real Estate School is a great choice for Maryland licensing classes. Its instructors bring real-world expertise to teach lessons so agents will not only learn the required material to pass the exam, but will also be prepared with in-the-field knowledge once they get their licenses. There are multiple learning formats to choose from, so learners can get the most out of their education, including live stream Zoom, self-paced and in-person options

Pros & Cons

In-person, live virtual and self-paced courses
Local instructors
Career potential with Weichert after passing the exam
Competitive pricing
Instructor accountability and guidance

Self-paced course offers limited support
Limited class times for live instruction
Interface can feel a bit more dated
Career support is limited to working with Weichert
Upgraded course features are limited

Features

Course Formats: Live virtual, self-paced and in-person course options.
Course Schedule: Livestream classes have various schedules to fit your needs, including day and night options. In-person classes are run on a Monday through Friday schedule. Self-paced options have access for six months from the date of purchase.
Course Access: Students can access the self-paced courses at any time. Livestream and in-person courses are based on scheduling.
Pass Guarantee or Refund Policy: Refunds are available if requested before the course is started, minus the $65 registration fee; there is no pass guarantee.
Student Engagement & Support: Direct support from instructors during class; administrative support available by phone or email
Exam Prep: Built into the course packages; stand-alone exam prep is available.
Final Exam: A proctored final exam is required at the end of the course.

Pricing

Weichert Real Estate School offers an affordable way to obtain your Maryland real estate license. From self-paced to in-person courses, pricing includes live instruction, course materials and exam prep.

In-person course ($220): 60-hour prelicensing course taught in person
Live virtual ($220): 60-hour prelicensing course taught by instructors over a virtual platform
Self-study online only ($269): 60-hour prelicensing course online, provided by The CE Shop

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Colibri Real Estate: Best for weekend warriors

Starting price: $279

Colibri Real Estate is a state-approved real estate education provider that offers both livestream and at-your-own-pace classes. Their livestream classes are ideal for those who study best with a regimented schedule, while Colibri’s online courses appeal to students who prefer a more flexible schedule. If you’re trying to get your Maryland real estate education requirements fulfilled while still working a 9-to-5 job, you’ll appreciate being able to take the weekend or evening classes at home. Students enjoy Colibri’s easy-to-navigate website, its clear studying format, and learning reinforcement through a test at the end of each chapter.

Pros & Cons

Free Virtual Career package available
Next-gen student dashboard allows students to track their progress

Online and livestream classes cannot be mixed and matched. Each class must be completed in the format it was started

Features

Course Formats: Self-paced or livestream courses.
Course Access: Six months from your registration date in most cases. The Prelicensing Ultimate Learning package offers one-year access.
Pass Guarantee: Colibri’s Pass or Don’t Pay Guarantee is available with all packages, with the exception of the Prelicensing Basic package. If students don’t pass the Maryland real estate license exam within 30 days of completing the course’s exam prep, Colibri will reimburse the original cost.
Student Support: Prelicensing packages enable students to email or call local experts with your questions. In general, live chat can be used to connect with an Education Specialist or Advisor. Or send an email or call during the business hours detailed on the website.
Exam Prep: Colibri’s exam prep packages include audio review guides, flashcards, simulated practice exams and a readiness assessment to help pass your real estate state exam.
Final Exam: The state of Maryland requires that students take a course final exam, which must be proctored. The course final exam is the last chapter of your Colibri course. You must complete all the course chapters and quizzes before you can take the closed-book final exam.

Pricing

Colibriʻs prelicensing classes meet Maryland’s 60-hour prelicensing requirement. All post-licensing courses meet Maryland’s 15-hour continuing education requirement for first-time renewals, which must be completed two years from the date of original licensure.

The Basics ($279): 60-hour prelicensing courses, instructor support, study guides, audio lessons and Buffini & Company coaching videos.
Exam Preparation ($379): The Basics, plus CompuCram exam prep, which includes simulated exams, flashcards, readiness assessment and audio review guides.
Exam Preparation Plus ($449): Exam Preparation, plus live and interactive instruction, which includes Exam Crammer Webinar series and instructor Q&A
Ultimate Learning ($559): Exam Preparation Plus, plus one-year access to Career Booster, which includes videos, job aids, buyer and seller checklists and action plan templates.

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Methodology: How we chose the best real estate schools in Maryland

We conducted extensive research to uncover the very best Maryland real estate schools, ranking each school based on the following:

Affordability and pricing
Course offerings, including study tools and technology
Flexibility and format options
Instructor expertise and accessibility
Pass rates and student satisfaction
Return policies or pass guarantees
Student support and engagement

Finally, we considered the unique features of each real estate school and the professional development opportunities, which can have lasting value to real estate agents like yourself.

FAQs: Best real estate schools in Maryland

How much does real estate school cost in Maryland?

To become a real estate agent in Maryland, be prepared to invest in an education that will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need. Here’s what to budget for:

Prelicensing exam coursework = $220 to $400
Background check = N/A
Maryland licensing fee = $90
State examination fee = $44

Estimated total = Between $350 and $550

What are the requirements for taking the Maryland real estate salesperson exam?

The requirements for taking the Maryland real estate salesperson exam are as follows:

Complete the 60 hours of required prelicensing education.
Pass the course final exam in the presence of a proctor.
Pass the Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Examination.
Find a sponsoring brokerage.
Complete the online licensing application.

How long is the Maryland Real Estate licensing exam?

The Maryland Real Estate license exam consists of 80 national questions and 30 state-specific questions. You will be given 90 minutes to complete the national portion of the exam and 30 minutes to complete the state portion. To pass, you must answer correctly at least 56 of the national questions and 21 of the state-specific questions. Don’t let these numbers seem daunting. With the right education provider in your corner, you’ll be ready come exam day!

Is the Maryland real estate exam hard?

You’ll need a score of at least 70% in order to pass the Maryland real estate exam. And approximately 32% of Maryland students fail the test the first time around and have to retake it, which means it’s not the easiest test out there. You are able to retake the Maryland real estate salesperson licensing exam an unlimited number of times, however, during the given 12-month period. If you only failed a section of the exam, you can also retake that specific section, but you will have to pay the $44 exam fee each time you retake it. To increase your chance of passing the first time around, focus on doing everything you can to be prepared, including taking an Exam Prep course in addition to your required prelicensing course.

What is the average salary for a Maryland real estate agent?

According to Glassdoor.com, the estimated average salary for a Maryland real estate agent is about $172,000 annually. This value represents the median. Additional pay, which may include cash bonuses, commission, and profit sharing, is estimated to be between $53,000 and $99,000 per year.

Helpful links

We’ve rounded up the links and sites you’ll want to visit as a prospective real estate agent for the most up-to-date information on obtaining your Maryland license, choosing a school, and other state requirements.

HW Media, LLC has established an agreement with The CE Shop to promote online course information to consumers and real estate licensees. HW Media, LLC is not the developer of these courses and is simply providing a referral. Any questions regarding course content or technology should be directed to The CE Shop.