by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Hospitality Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 17,689 people earned their degree in hospitality management, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, hospitality management graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,874 and had an average of $22,906 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Hospitality Schools” ranking, we looked at 352 colleges that offer a degree in hospitality management. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality hospitality management programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the hospitality management program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
The hospitality school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Hospitality Schools”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for hospitality students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valencia College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 412 students in 2020-2021.
Valencia College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $5,354 for hospitality students.
Out of the 352 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Madison Area Technical College landed the #2 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
Madison College also took the #14 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Madison Area Technical College is $10,053 for Hospitality students.
Read full report on Hospitality Management at Madison College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kapiolani Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Hospitality Schools. Kapiolani CC is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 176 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Kapiolani CC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Kapiolani Community College is $6,051 for hospitality students.
Read full report on Hospitality Management at Kapiolani Community College
Out of the 352 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Bunker Hill Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BHCC is also in the top of our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend BHCC is $7,913 for Hospitality students.
Read full report on Hospitality Management at Bunker Hill Community College
Out of the 352 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Hawaii landed the #5 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Hawaii is located in Laie, Hawaii and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, BYU - H is in the top on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,499 for hospitality students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Hawaii.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Fox Valley Technical College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Fox Valley Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
FVTC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Fox Valley Technical College is $12,207 for Hospitality students.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Fox Valley Technical College
With a ranking of #7, College of Southern Nevada did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. College of Southern Nevada is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 76 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our hospitality students list, CSN has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSN is $7,019 for hospitality students.
Athens Technical College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Athens Technical College is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Athens Technical College is also in the top of our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,759 for hospitality students per year to attend Athens Technical College.
Ivy Tech Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 240 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for hospitality students.
Full Ivy Tech Community College Hospitality Management Report
Houston Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Houston Community College is $4,813 for hospitality students.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Houston Community College
Sinclair Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 252 diplomas to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Hospitality students.
Full Sinclair Community College Hospitality Management Report
With a ranking of #12, American Public University System did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 59 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,563 for hospitality students per year to attend American Public University System.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Hospitality Management at American Public University System
Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 51 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
FSCJ excels when it comes to hospitality quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State College at Jacksonville is $3,129 for Hospitality students.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Florida State College at Jacksonville
With a ranking of #14, Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,909 for Hospitality students per year to attend Cuyahoga Community College District.
Full Cuyahoga Community College District Hospitality Management Report
Gwinnett Technical College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Lawrenceville, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.
GTC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. It costs about $12,696 for Hospitality students per year to attend Gwinnett Technical College.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Gwinnett Technical College
With a ranking of #16, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,962 for hospitality students per year to attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
Read full report on Hospitality Management at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
With a ranking of #17, Albany Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. This small school is located in Albany, Georgia, and it awarded 69 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Albany Technical College is $663 for Hospitality students.
With a ranking of #18, Normandale Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Bloomington, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,854 for Hospitality students per year to attend Normandale Community College.
Full Normandale Community College Hospitality Management Report
Central Georgia Technical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. CGTC is a medium-sized public school situated in Warner Robins, Georgia. It awarded 93 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Central Georgia Technical College is $2,404 for hospitality students.
Bellevue University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 71 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $17,288 for Hospitality students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Central Piedmont Community College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. Central Piedmont Community College is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,710 for Hospitality students per year to attend Central Piedmont Community College.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Central Piedmont Community College
Colorado Mountain College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 61 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.
Colorado Mountain College excels when it comes to hospitality quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mountain College is $6,450 for hospitality students.
Read more about Hospitality Management at Colorado Mountain College
Hillsborough Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools list. Hillsborough Community College is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend HCC is $2,949 for hospitality students.
Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,721 for Hospitality students per year to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College.
With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 59 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Stout is also in the top of our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,589 for hospitality students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 52 | SUNY Schenectady County Community College | Schenectady, NY |
| 53 | Broward College | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
