by our College Data Analytics Team
[Hospitality Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/hospitality-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong hospitality management education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for hospitality management students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in hospitality management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Kirkwood Community College tops our 2027 list of the best value hospitality management schools in Iowa. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,176, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Typical student debt for hospitality management graduates is $15,779. Early-career hospitality management graduates make about $41,681. That is a strong return on a $15,779 median debt.
Iowa State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in hospitality management, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Typical student debt for hospitality management graduates is $20,998. Soon after graduation, hospitality management degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $36,743. Set against $20,998 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Mount Mercy University one of the best values for hospitality management. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,878. Students borrow a median of $27,709 to complete the hospitality management program here. Hospitality Management graduates of Mount Mercy University earn a median of $50,431 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,709 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Iowa one of the best values for hospitality management. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for hospitality management graduates is $26,642. Hospitality Management graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $36,752 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,642 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.