Hospitality Administration/Management: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Hospitality Administration/Management graduates earn a median $56,726 four years after finishing — $8,366/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 8.1 years. Federal data pools 255 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 9,088 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Hospitality Administration/Management ranks #124 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 39% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | NY | $112,289 |
| 2 | New York University | NY | $84,375 |
| 3 | Boston University | MA | $82,302 |
| 4 | University of San Francisco | CA | $77,757 |
| 5 | George Washington University | DC | $75,683 |
| 6 | University of Denver | CO | $75,118 |
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $72,817 |
| 8 | DePaul University | IL | $71,556 |
| 9 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | NJ | $71,188 |
| 10 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | NJ | $71,188 |
| 11 | University of Delaware | DE | $71,102 |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $70,916 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Hospitality Administration/Management pay grow after graduation?
From $33,374 one year out to $56,726 four years out — a $23,352 climb, or 70% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Hospitality Administration/Management each year?
About 9,088 bachelor's graduates a year across 255 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.