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2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

16 Ranked Colleges
1,094 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Hospitality Management is the 66th most popular major in the country with 17,689 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across California, there were 1,094 hospitality management graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,477 and $16,085 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in hospitality management. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality hospitality management programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the hospitality management program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in California 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Hospitality Management (Income $0-$30k) in California

1
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Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mt. San Antonio College landed the #1 spot on the list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Mt. SAC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $2,412 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mt. San Antonio College Hospitality Management Report

2
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Cerritos College
Norwalk, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cerritos College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cerritos College is a fairly large school located in Norwalk, California that handed out 6 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

Cerritos College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,419 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cerritos College.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Cerritos College

3

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #3 spot on the list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona

4

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 72 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for California Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at California State University - Long Beach

5
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 109 diplomas to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at SDSU

6
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College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

College of the Canyons ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Clarita, California, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k list, College of the Canyons has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend College of the Canyons is $4,300 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at College of the Canyons

7
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Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California

Orange Coast College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orange Coast College is a fairly large school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 10 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

Orange Coast College also made our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Orange Coast College is $3,681 for California Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Orange Coast College

8
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #8, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Hospitality Management at USC

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 67 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for California Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at CSUN

10

California State University - East Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also took the #8 spot in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,975 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - East Bay Hospitality Management Report

11
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San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in San Diego, California, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

San Diego Mesa College also made our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend San Diego Mesa College is $4,672 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full San Diego Mesa College Hospitality Management Report

12

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

CSUMB also made our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,192 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at California State University - Monterey Bay

13
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San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for California Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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 86%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at San Jose State

14
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 67 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,705 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Hospitality Management Report

15
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College of the Desert
Palm Desert, California

College of the Desert came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Palm Desert, California, and it awarded 14 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

College of the Desert not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,016 for california hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College of the Desert.

Full College of the Desert Hospitality Management Report

16
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Hospitality Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Hospitality Management Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,023 for California Hospitality students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at USFCA

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