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2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

219 Ranked Colleges
10,672 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 17,830 people earned their degree in hospitality management, making the major the 61st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, hospitality management graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,271 and had an average of $21,829 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,672 hospitality management graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 219 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the hospitality management program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Hospitality Management (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 238 degrees to qualified bachelors’s hospitality students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $7,484 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Cornell University Hospitality Management Report

#2

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 231 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $5,360 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Florida State

#3

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s hospitality degrees to 228 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Michigan State University

Out of the 219 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 641 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Hospitality Management at FIU

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 219 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 112 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Hospitality Management Report

University of Central Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 665 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF excels when it comes to hospitality quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Central Florida Hospitality Management Report

With a ranking of #7, New York City College of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. City Tech is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 157 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,456 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New York City College of Technology.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at City Tech

With a ranking of #8, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,950 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at University of South Florida - Main Campus

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 48 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s hospitality degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU excels when it comes to hospitality quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at SDSU

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 522 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,378 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Hospitality Management at UNLV

#12

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #12, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 174 bachelors’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wazzu also did well on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,334 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington State University Hospitality Management Report

#13

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNT is $8,521 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Texas Hospitality Management Report

#14

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 134 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s hospitality students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Texas A&M University - College Station

#15

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 177 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Gulf Coast University.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Hospitality Management Report

#16

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,138 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Hospitality Management Report

#17

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,140 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of West Florida Hospitality Management Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,364 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Hospitality Management at CSULB

With a ranking of #19, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 133 bachelors’s hospitality degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Iowa State University

#20

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,903 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston University.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Boston University Hospitality Management Report

#21

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school awarded 73 degrees to qualified bachelors’s hospitality students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech excels when it comes to hospitality quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $12,317 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Texas Tech

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#23

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s hospitality students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,169 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Appalachian State University

#24

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $10,695 for bachelor’s degree hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Stout Hospitality Management Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Hospitality Management Report

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Hospitality Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#27

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#32

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
#33

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Bblackpsu.

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