Which state pays hospitality management bachelor's graduates the most?

Texas, where the median program pays its graduates $36,656 in their first year, the highest of 8 state rankings. Indiana is next, at $35,582.

Which hospitality management bachelor's program pays the most?

Cornell University in New York reports the highest first-year pay of the 132 programs ranked here, $77,803. Its median federal debt is $13,987.

How much debt do hospitality management bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $23,905 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 67% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Hospitality Management (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

133 programs report first-year pay
8 state rankings
Bachelor's in Hospitality Administration/Management

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median hospitality management bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $34,703 in their first year and $51,398 five years after. Texas has the highest state median ($36,656), and New York the lowest ($31,629). The median program leaves its graduates with $23,905 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$34,703Across 133 programs

Median pay after 5 years$51,398Across 125 programs

Median federal debt$23,905Across 131 programs

Debt-to-earnings67%Across 127 programs

All 132 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$77,803	Not adjusted	$98,785	$13,987	18%
2	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$53,625	Not adjusted	$93,149	$22,500	42%
3	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$47,679	$46,267	$62,364	$21,923	46%
4	JMUHarrisonburg, VA · public	$46,915	$46,403	$65,319	$22,250	47%
5	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$45,771	$45,271	$60,111	$25,680	56%
6	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$45,151	$44,658	$57,639	$24,722	55%
7	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$44,657	Not adjusted	$51,214	$26,000	58%
8	Campbell UniversityBuies Creek, NC · private nonprofit	$44,464	Not adjusted	$67,985	$19,750	44%
9	UW-StoutMenomonie, WI · public	$43,359	Not adjusted	$53,914	$25,225	58%
10	National Louis UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$42,196	$42,214	$47,010	$28,491	68%
11	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$42,073	Not adjusted	$55,360	$25,000	59%
12	Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT · public	$42,070	$42,553	$52,381	$23,250	55%
13	North Dakota StateFargo, ND · public	$41,984	Not adjusted	$50,675	Not reported	Not reported
14	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$41,688	$40,453	$53,160	$20,500	49%
15	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$41,506	$42,765	$67,259	$22,500	54%
16	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$41,251	$38,548	$55,920	$25,000	61%
17	UNTDenton, TX · public	$41,183	$42,432	$51,398	$23,070	56%
18	PurdueWest Lafayette, IN · public	$41,099	$44,037	$55,565	$19,432	47%
19	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$41,069	Not adjusted	$61,842	$22,625	55%
20	Husson UniversityBangor, ME · private nonprofit	$40,812	$42,053	Not reported	$26,963	66%
21	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$40,664	Not adjusted	$53,091	$24,500	60%
22	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$40,637	Not adjusted	$67,176	$19,000	47%
23	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$40,009	$36,135	$58,612	$17,749	44%
24	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$39,808	Not adjusted	$56,884	$24,500	62%
25	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$39,689	$44,048	$54,410	$22,250	56%
26	College of CharlestonCharleston, SC · public	$39,688	$42,334	$53,871	$23,448	59%
27	UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	$39,266	$37,129	$62,949	$24,385	62%
28	Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL · public	$39,108	$37,817	$50,667	$21,000	54%
29	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$39,099	$36,229	$44,756	$21,500	55%
30	Purdue NorthwestHammond, IN · public	$39,017	$41,806	$45,525	$29,169	75%
31	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$38,916	$42,851	$52,578	$23,250	60%
32	East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, PA · public	$38,531	$39,490	$50,900	$26,905	70%
33	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$38,351	$37,215	$52,594	$20,500	53%
34	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusTeaneck, NJ · private nonprofit	$38,330	Not adjusted	$59,730	$25,000	65%
35	East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	$38,049	$40,338	$51,148	$26,000	68%
36	Widener UniversityChester, PA · private nonprofit	$37,861	$38,803	$55,214	$23,250	61%
37	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$37,829	Not adjusted	$55,654	$25,000	66%
38	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$37,743	$38,887	Not reported	$19,500	52%
39	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$37,563	Not adjusted	$72,901	$22,850	61%
40	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$37,402	$37,150	$52,298	$20,046	54%
41	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$37,330	$36,098	$53,037	$18,864	51%
42	York College of PennsylvaniaYork, PA · private nonprofit	$37,238	Not adjusted	$54,449	$26,000	70%
43	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$37,187	$38,649	$53,003	$29,000	78%
44	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$37,174	Not adjusted	$55,116	$37,978	102%
45	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$37,151	$39,806	$48,176	$24,947	67%
46	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$36,986	$39,867	$56,411	$26,000	70%
47	Morgan StateBaltimore, MD · public	$36,845	$35,104	$42,479	$30,375	82%
48	FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	$36,827	$35,611	$53,494	$23,032	63%
49	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$36,743	$41,867	$52,830	$20,998	57%
50	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$36,690	$39,136	$53,539	$26,000	71%
51	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$36,590	Not adjusted	$59,040	$27,000	74%
52	University of Maryland Eastern ShorePrincess Anne, MD · public	$36,472	$34,749	$42,313	$26,000	71%
53	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$36,451	$40,137	$48,742	$26,000	71%
54	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$36,439	$39,664	$56,614	$22,500	62%
55	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$35,878	$40,843	$57,048	$21,122	59%
56	Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$35,871	$35,886	$43,045	$23,916	67%
57	Culinary Institute of AmericaHyde Park, NY · private nonprofit	$35,865	Not adjusted	$45,707	$26,778	75%
58	Cal State Monterey BaySeaside, CA · public	$35,760	$32,298	Not reported	$11,000	31%
59	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$35,569	$36,648	$50,060	$22,767	64%
60	Northwestern State University of LouisianaNatchitoches, LA · public	$35,452	$40,192	$41,200	$20,500	58%
61	RITRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$35,449	Not adjusted	$41,308	$26,689	75%
62	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$35,406	$36,798	$49,255	$26,000	73%
63	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$35,339	$36,218	$53,432	$26,417	75%
64	University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · public	$35,277	$35,284	$51,581	$19,003	54%
65	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$35,039	$36,388	Not reported	$31,000	88%
66	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$34,722	$34,737	$51,401	$16,375	47%
67	USFTampa, FL · public	$34,703	$33,557	$51,031	$23,656	68%
68	Mercyhurst UniversityErie, PA · private nonprofit	$34,675	Not adjusted	$48,698	$26,000	75%
69	University of West FloridaPensacola, FL · public	$34,656	$33,512	$41,233	$18,000	52%
70	Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	$34,562	$32,681	$52,116	$23,250	67%
71	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$34,560	$31,214	$46,668	$17,125	50%
72	University of South Carolina BeaufortBluffton, SC · public	$34,503	$36,804	$48,986	$23,989	70%
73	Southeast Missouri StateCape Girardeau, MO · public	$34,395	$37,873	$45,208	$18,750	55%
74	GCUPhoenix, AZ · private nonprofit	$34,370	$34,139	Not reported	$25,000	73%
75	Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC · public	$34,300	$36,587	$46,742	$25,000	73%
76	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$34,282	Not adjusted	$61,488	$25,000	73%
77	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$34,153	$30,846	$56,485	$14,400	42%
78	Cal State East BayHayward, CA · public	$34,015	$30,722	$62,071	$19,470	57%
79	Purdue Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · public	$34,013	$36,444	$47,292	$24,772	73%
80	Fort Hays StateHays, KS · public	$34,004	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
81	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$33,930	$30,645	$49,890	$15,000	44%
82	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$33,869	$33,641	$51,941	$15,891	47%
83	ECPI UniversityVirginia Beach, VA · private for-profit	$33,711	$33,343	$42,013	$30,138	89%
84	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$33,702	$35,729	$57,957	$24,323	72%
85	Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	$33,685	$32,511	$50,649	$22,225	66%
86	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$33,624	$32,514	$49,679	$20,500	61%
87	Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$33,374	Not adjusted	$46,169	$26,175	78%
88	FIUMiami, FL · public	$33,364	$32,263	$49,350	$19,300	58%
89	Ferris StateBig Rapids, MI · public	$33,228	$34,534	$35,667	$27,000	81%
90	Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	$32,939	$34,207	$52,982	$20,750	63%
91	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$32,639	$33,629	$51,879	$21,423	66%
92	South Dakota StateBrookings, SD · public	$32,512	Not adjusted	$52,337	$27,000	83%
93	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$32,337	$32,351	Not reported	$25,001	77%
94	IU KokomoKokomo, IN · public	$32,325	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
95	Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township, PA · private nonprofit	$32,255	$33,058	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
96	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$32,178	Not adjusted	$52,250	$25,000	78%
97	UNC GreensboroGreensboro, NC · public	$31,952	$33,874	$51,141	$21,875	68%
98	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$31,926	$34,413	$45,417	$25,112	79%
99	Lasell UniversityNewton, MA · private nonprofit	$31,858	$30,124	$54,754	$27,000	85%
100	Niagara UniversityNiagara University, NY · private nonprofit	$31,790	$29,457	$54,265	$27,000	85%
101	Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY · public	$31,629	$29,308	$43,844	$19,500	62%
102	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$31,190	$33,950	$44,977	$29,000	93%
103	Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ · public	$30,833	$28,338	$52,061	$20,197	66%
104	Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TX · public	$30,758	$31,691	$47,799	$25,000	81%
105	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$30,363	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	86%
106	Walnut Hill CollegePhiladelphia, PA · private for-profit	$30,352	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
107	Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA · public	$30,307	$31,061	$50,706	$27,000	89%
108	New Mexico StateLas Cruces, NM · public	$29,942	$32,471	$40,174	$21,085	70%
109	University of Southern MainePortland, ME · public	$29,924	$30,834	Not reported	$20,500	69%
110	Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · private nonprofit	$29,632	$28,654	Not reported	$27,000	91%
111	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$29,492	Not adjusted	$44,211	$24,883	84%
112	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$29,405	$30,561	$50,411	$22,500	77%
113	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$29,395	$31,163	$46,877	$26,000	88%
114	St. John's UniversityQueens, NY · private nonprofit	$29,391	$27,234	$48,636	$23,750	81%
115	UH ManoaHonolulu, HI · public	$29,002	$26,377	$35,896	$20,250	70%
116	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$28,587	$32,409	$37,855	Not reported	Not reported
117	University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · public	$28,310	Not adjusted	Not reported	$18,500	65%
118	Youngstown StateYoungstown, OH · public	$28,245	$30,445	$45,003	$25,687	91%
119	Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL · private nonprofit	$28,130	Not adjusted	$62,181	$23,923	85%
120	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$28,071	$30,077	Not reported	$24,148	86%
121	Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, AR · public	$27,969	$32,172	Not reported	$24,000	86%
122	University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · public	$27,878	$31,605	$45,812	$23,905	86%
123	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$27,809	Not adjusted	$55,454	$21,610	78%
124	North Carolina Central UniversityDurham, NC · public	$27,752	Not adjusted	Not reported	$29,000	104%
125	SUNY College of Technology at DelhiDelhi, NY · public	$27,450	$25,435	$43,001	$23,280	85%
126	Monroe UniversityBronx, NY · private for-profit	$26,930	$24,953	$40,711	$27,000	100%
127	City TechBrooklyn, NY · public	$25,494	$23,623	$36,972	$10,500	41%
128	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$25,340	$22,887	$51,354	$15,000	59%
129	St. Joseph's University-New YorkBrooklyn, NY · private nonprofit	$24,571	$22,768	Not reported	$21,812	89%
130	New York Institute of TechnologyOld Westbury, NY · private nonprofit	$22,974	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,750	95%
131	Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI · public	$21,074	Not adjusted	$37,797	$31,000	147%
132	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina CampusCarolina, PR · private nonprofit	$14,978	Not adjusted	$27,930	$14,108	94%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 96 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 36, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

6 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. One more program reports pay but isn't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name its school. The national medians above still count them.

Hospitality Management (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's hospitality management bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Texas	6	$36,656	$22,634
2	Indiana	6	$35,582	$24,772
3	Pennsylvania	9	$35,339	$26,000
4	Florida	9	$34,656	$21,000
5	Michigan	6	$34,317	$26,500
6	California	7	$34,153	$16,063
7	North Carolina	6	$32,827	$25,162
8	New York	13	$31,629	$21,812

Programs in 37 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

City Tech, NY$10,500
Cal State Monterey Bay, CA$11,000
Cornell University, NY$13,987
San Francisco State, CA$14,400
Cal Poly Pomona, CA$15,000
CSUN, CA$15,000
Cal State Long Beach, CA$17,125
San Diego State, CA$17,749
University of West Florida, FL$18,000
Florida State, FL$18,864

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 59 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to hospitality management, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Food Service Managers

$69,390

Median pay in the US. 238,430 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 38,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $45,960Top 10%: $107,640

Facilities Managers

$106,660

Median pay in the US. 156,180 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $64,480Top 10%: $176,120

Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

$61,160

Median pay in the US. 142,860 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $36,830Top 10%: $101,700

Tour and Travel Guides

$38,120

Median pay in the US. 53,500 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $28,520Top 10%: $60,930

Common questions

The median hospitality management bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $34,703 in their first year and $51,398 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024