Best Online Hospitality Management Programs of 2025
An online bachelor’s program in hospitality management can prepare you for a career in a growing, diverse industry. Learn more about this degree path.
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The hospitality management field is growing rapidly. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that by 2033 1 in 8 jobs will be in the leisure and hospitality sector — that’s more than 800,000 new jobs.
An online hospitality management degree prepares you to run the business side of hotels, restaurants, and tourism. These programs offer comprehensive training in event planning, customer service, and food service management, all through a remote format.
Once you graduate with this degree, you could work as an event planner, food service manager, lodging manager and revenue manager, among other roles.
Read on to learn more about the top online hospitality management programs and how this degree can help you advance your career in the industry.
Hospitality Management Program Highlights
- A hospitality management degree prepares you for management roles in the hospitality industry, such as hotel manager and event coordinator.
- These online programs can cost nearly $42,000, but financial aid can help lower the price to around $37,000.
- Bachelor’s programs require you to earn 120 credits to graduate — about 30 credits per year.
Source: NCES PowerStats
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Best Online Hospitality Management Programs
How We Rank Schools
To create this ranking, BestColleges sourced the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. We then ranked each school according to the top variables college students selected in our College Choice and Admissions Survey. To learn more, check out our full rankings methodology or read the summary below.
To qualify for our rankings lists, each school must be an accredited public or private, nonprofit institution. Each eligible school was then ranked based on a formula measuring:
- Affordability (30%)
- Student outcomes (30%)
- Reputation (20%)
- Diversity and social mobility (20%)
In addition, we only included colleges with graduation rates in the top third of all online colleges.
Florida International University
Miami, FL4 yearCampus + Online
$6,168
$18,566
59%
67%
$911
$2,003
92%
54,085
Public
Yes
$6,168
$18,566
Miami, FL4 yearCampus + Online
$6,168
$18,566
59%
67%
$911
$2,003
92%
54,085
Public
Yes
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA4 yearCampus + Online
$16,591
$38,527
58%
21%
$14,364
$31,489
91%
31,810
Public
Yes
$16,591
$38,527
Amherst, MA4 yearCampus + Online
$16,591
$38,527
58%
21%
$14,364
$31,489
91%
31,810
Public
Yes
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL4 yearCampus + Online
$6,368
$22,467
43%
9%
$6,916
$25,759
92%
68,842
Public
Yes
$6,368
$22,467
Orlando, FL4 yearCampus + Online
$6,368
$22,467
43%
9%
$6,916
$25,759
92%
68,842
Public
Yes
Washington State University
Pullman, WA4 yearCampus + Online
$10,976
$27,052
85%
28%
$12,366
$27,163
81%
26,490
Public
Yes
$10,976
$27,052
Pullman, WA4 yearCampus + Online
$10,976
$27,052
85%
28%
$12,366
$27,163
81%
26,490
Public
Yes
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL4 yearCampus + Online
$11,100
$32,400
76%
42%
$11,100
$31,460
86%
39,622
Public
Yes
$11,100
$32,400
Tuscaloosa, AL4 yearCampus + Online
$11,100
$32,400
76%
42%
$11,100
$31,460
86%
39,622
Public
Yes
Why You Should Get a Hospitality Management Degree
Learn industry-relevant skills: A hospitality management degree program can teach you specialized skills in hotel and restaurant operations, event planning, food and beverage services, and more.
Find networking opportunities: Many hospitality management programs offer access to alumni events, industry conferences, and other opportunities to build a professional network, which can help you find job opportunities.
Advance your career: The hospitality industry is broad and offers many career opportunities across many sectors, such as resort or restaurant management.
Earn a higher salary: With a bachelor’s degree, you can expect to earn nearly $600 more per week than you would with just a high school diploma, per the BLS.
Benefits of Getting a Hospitality Management Degree Online
In our 2024 Online Education Trends Report, online program graduates (73%) said their degrees prepared them for employment after graduation.
Over 90% of all students said their online degree has or will have a positive ROI.
Nearly all (97%) said they would recommend online education to others.
Around 80% of respondents said that online education is better than or equal to on-campus learning.
How to Choose the Best Hospitality Management Degree Program for You
As you research programs, evaluate tuition cost, financial availability, and program length. You should also consider the career paths you can pursue after graduation to make sure the hospitality industry is the right fit for you.
Weighing these factors can help you make the right choice before enrolling.
How Much Does a Hospitality Management Degree Cost?
Cost of Bachelor’s Degrees in Business, Management, and Marketing, 2019-2020
Online
Avg. Tuition & Fees
$10,473
Avg. Net Price
$5,918
In-Person
Avg. Tuition & Fees
$16,941
Avg. Net Price
$9,248
Source: NCES PowerStats, 2019-2020
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), bachelor’s degrees in business, management, and marketing (which includes hospitality management) cost around $10,400 per year in 2019-2020. That’s nearly $42,000 for a four-year program.
Fortunately, financial aid like grants and scholarships can reduce the cost to around $9,200 yearly — $37,000 total for a four-year degree.
Remember that this data is based on the 2019-2020 school year. Also, tuition rates vary based on your in-state vs. out-of-state status and whether you attend a public or private college.
For example, in-person students without financial aid paid around $25,000 more for their bachelor’s in hospitality management degrees than online students during the 2019-2020 school year.
If you’re interested in learning more about tuition rates and financial aid, make sure to visit your desired school’s website. There, you can find detailed information or contact details for the relevant office or person who can answer your questions.
Find Financial Aid for Your Hospitality Degree
How Long Does It Take to Get a Hospitality Management Degree?
Typical # of Credits
120 Credits
Typical Program Length
4 Years
Unless you enroll in an accelerated bachelor’s program, you’ll spend around four years completing your online hospitality management degree program as a full-time student.
Most bachelor’s programs require students to earn 120 credits, which equals around 30 credits per year. You can speed up this timeline by taking summer classes, transferring credits, and earning credit for life and work experience.
What Can You Do With a Hospitality Management Degree?
Once you graduate, you can get a job as a food service manager. According to the BLS, these professionals earned a median annual salary of $63,060 in May 2023. In this role, you’ll organize the daily operations of restaurants or other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages.
You can also work as a lodging manager, ensuring that guests have a satisfying experience. Lodging managers earned a median of $65,300 per year in May 2023, per the BLS.
For those who prefer variety over a fixed workplace, event planning offers the chance to coordinate and oversee different types of events. These workers earned a median annual wage of $56,900 as of May 2023.
Job | Median Annual Salary (May 2023) | Description |
---|---|---|
Food Service Managers | $63,060 | Oversee restaurant staff and operations to help improve performance and increase profitability. |
Lodging Managers | $65,360 | Manage guests’ experience, increasing efficiency and profitability. |
Event Planners | $56,920 | Coordinate, launch, and manage conferences, trade shows, festivals, and other events, ensuring they run smoothly and efficiently. |
Source: BLS
Learn More About Hospitality Jobs
Is a Hospitality Management Degree Worth It?
A hospitality management degree can be worthwhile if you want to develop business and customer service skills that can open leadership opportunities within the industry.
Beyond the skills you’ll learn, you may also want to consider the degree’s return on investment. You can determine this by comparing the cost of your degree against the salary you expect to earn once you graduate.
The average starting salary for people with bachelor’s degrees in hospitality management was around $48,000 in 2023, per the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). However, remember that your wages will vary depending on location, experience level, and the particular sector you work in.
Education Beyond a Bachelor’s Degree
After you earn a bachelor’s, you can go after an advanced degree, such as a master of science in hospitality management, a master of management in hospitality, or a master’s in hospitality administration.
With a master’s degree, you can earn a higher starting salary since these programs provide further industry knowledge and networking opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hospitality Management Degrees
A bachelor’s degree in hospitality management teaches the skills to oversee the daily operations of hotels, restaurants, casinos, resorts, and more. While studying, you’ll learn about organizational marketing, finances, law, revenue management, strategic planning, and human resources.
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Best HBCU Hospitality Management Programs
HBCU hospitality management programs will teach you how to manage restaurants, hotels, and casinos. Read this guide to help you get started in this exciting career.

by Ciarra Jones
Updated October 2, 2023
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