College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major

576 Ranked Colleges
17,689 Degrees Awarded
$31,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Hospitality Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Hospitality Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 17,689 people earned their degree in hospitality management, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Hospitality Major” ranking analyzed 576 colleges that offered a degree in hospitality management. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular hospitality management programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Hospitality Management Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Hospitality Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Hospitality Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Hospitality Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for hospitality students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 884 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Hospitality Management at UCF

2

Out of the 576 schools in the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 776 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 FIU

3

Out of the 576 schools in the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 645 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Full UNLV Hospitality Management Report

4
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

Out of the 576 schools in the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #4 spot on the list. UH is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 291 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 UH

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Culinary Institute of America. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. Culinary Institute of America is located in Hyde Park, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 283 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Culinary Institute of America

6

With a ranking of #6, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 277 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Hospitality Management Report

6
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 277 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornell University Hospitality Management Report

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 229 diplomas to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Florida State University

9

New York City College of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #9. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 215 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at New York City College of Technology

10
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

With a ranking of #10, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 272 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at NAU

11

University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 201 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Hospitality Management at University of South Carolina - Columbia

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 177 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 Michigan State

13
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 176 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Wazzu Hospitality Management Report

14
JWU Online crest
Johnson & Wales University - Online
Providence, Rhode Island

Johnson & Wales University - Online ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 149 students in 2020-2021.

Full JWU Online Hospitality Management Report

15
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, New York

Monroe College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Monroe College

16
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #16. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 138 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at JMU

17
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 137 degrees to qualified ’s hospitality students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Purdue University - Main Campus

18

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 195 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at IUPUI

19

University of Puerto Rico - Carolina landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. University of Puerto Rico - Carolina is a public institution located in Carolina, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Hospitality Management at University of Puerto Rico - Carolina

19

Johnson & Wales University - Providence landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 131 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University - Providence

21

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #21. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 318 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Hospitality Management at Texas A&M University - College Station

21

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #21. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNT Hospitality Management Report

23
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 240 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Ivy Tech Community College Hospitality Management Report

24
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major ranking, coming in at #24. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 112 ’s hospitality degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Boston University Hospitality Management Report

25
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s hospitality degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at UA

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Hospitality Major list. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 ’s hospitality degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Hospitality Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Rest of the Best 49 in Most Well Attended Hospitality Major

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
27
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
29
30
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida
31
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York
32
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
33
33
33
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
36
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
37
38
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
38
40
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
41
42
43
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska
43
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
43
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
46
Stockton State crest
Stockton University
Galloway, New Jersey
46
48
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
48
48

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Hospitality Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
52Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
52Kent State University at KentKent, OH
54Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
54San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
56University of Wisconsin - StoutMenomonie, WI
56Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
58Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
59College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
60University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA
61Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
61University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
63Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
64Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
65Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main CampusIndiana, PA
RankCollegeLocation
65Stratford UniversityFairfax, VA
67Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
67Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
67Brigham Young University - HawaiiLaie, HI
67Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
71Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
71American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
73National Louis UniversityChicago, IL
74SUNY DelhiDelhi, NY
74Universidad del EsteCarolina, PR
74The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
77University of South Carolina - BeaufortBluffton, SC
78George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
79Stephen F Austin State UniversityNacogdoches, TX
79Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY
79Colorado Mountain CollegeGlenwood Springs, CO
82University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
83Flagler College - St AugustineSaint Augustine, FL
83Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
83East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, PA
86University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
86University of MemphisMemphis, TN
86Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA
86New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas Cruces, NM
86Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL
RankCollegeLocation

Switch to a Similar Major

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options