by our College Data Analytics Team
[Hospitality Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/hospitality-management/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where hospitality management graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The hospitality management program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. To help, we created our Highest Paid Hospitality Management Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its hospitality management graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Hospitality Management Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose hospitality management graduates go on to earn the most.
Cornell University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying hospitality management schools in the United States. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Hospitality Management graduates of Cornell University earn a median of about $98,785 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Georgetown University earned it the #2 place for hospitality management. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, hospitality management degree recipients from Georgetown University typically earn about $79,515 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in hospitality management will find them at Niagara County Community College, which ranked #3. Niagara County Community College is a public school located in the rural area of Sanborn. Early-career hospitality management graduates from Niagara County Community College make a median of around $44,087 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Pima Community College one of the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Pima Community College is a public school located in the city of Tucson. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,355.
A rank of #5 makes University Of San Francisco one of the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Located in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career hospitality management graduates from University Of San Francisco make a median of around $74,026 per year.
Pace University New York landed the #6 spot for hospitality management salaries this year. Pace University New York is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,939.
San Jose State University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Set in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a public institution. Early-career hospitality management graduates from San Jose State University make a median of around $67,022 per year.
James Madison University came in at #8 for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. James Madison University is a public school located in the city of Harrisonburg. Hospitality Management graduates of James Madison University earn a median of about $65,319 a year early in their careers.
Scottsdale Community College placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Set in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public institution. Hospitality Management graduates of Scottsdale Community College earn a median of about $42,499 a year early in their careers.
Northwood University Michigan earned the #10 position for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Midland, Northwood University Michigan is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,997.
Campbell University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Buies Creek. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,985.
University Of Denver landed the #12 spot for hospitality management salaries this year. University Of Denver is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Hospitality Management graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of about $62,364 a year early in their careers.
Jefferson State Community College came in at #13 for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Birmingham, Jefferson State Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,433.
Texas Tech University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying hospitality management schools. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,259.
University Of Delaware placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Set in the suburb of Newark, University Of Delaware is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,901.
New York University landed the #16 spot for hospitality management salaries this year. New York University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Early-career hospitality management graduates from New York University make a median of around $75,221 per year.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying hospitality management schools. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,111.
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #18 spot for hospitality management salaries this year. Located in the town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,720.
George Mason University came in at #19 for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,639.
Michigan State University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying hospitality management schools. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,842.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #21 for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public school located in the city of Amherst. Hospitality Management graduates of University Of Massachusetts Amherst earn a median of about $62,949 a year early in their careers.
University Of Wisconsin Stout landed the #22 spot for hospitality management salaries this year. Located in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a public institution. Hospitality Management graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stout earn a median of about $53,914 a year early in their careers.
San Diego State University placed #23 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a public institution. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,612.
Kansas State University earned the #24 position for hospitality management graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a public institution. Hospitality Management graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of about $55,360 a year early in their careers.
Boston University placed #25 among the highest-paying schools for hospitality management. Boston University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Students who complete the hospitality management program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,214.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid hospitality management ranking:
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries hospitality management graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
