Hotel general manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hotel general manager. Hotel general managers usually study business, hospitality management, or management. 58% of hotel general managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,223 real hotel general manager resumes to see exactly what hotel general manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for hotel general managers are the Cornell University and the Cornell University.

There are also many online hotel general manager courses to help get the education required to be a hotel general manager.

There are certain hotel general manager certifications that you should consider. These hotel general manager certifications include Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a hotel general manager?

What degree do you need to be a hotel general manager?

The most common degree for hotel general managers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of hotel general managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 9%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a hotel general manager?

You should major in business to become a hotel general manager. 34% of hotel general managers major in business. Other common majors for a hotel general manager include hospitality management and management.

Business, 34%

Hospitality Management, 20%

Management, 8%

Health Care Administration, 4%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for hotel general managers

Hotel general managers often get their degrees at Cornell University, Johnson & Wales University, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for hotel general managers in the US based on their resumes.

Hotel general manager common college	Percentages
Cornell University	13.46%
Johnson & Wales University	8.65%
Michigan State University	8.65%
University of Houston	6.73%
University of Phoenix	5.77%

Show more common hotel general manager colleges

Best majors for hotel general managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.5%
2	Hospitality Management	19.8%
3	Management	7.7%
4	Health Care Administration	4.0%
5	Accounting	3.4%

Show more common hotel general manager majors

Best colleges for hotel general managers

The best colleges for hotel general managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A hotel general manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hotel general managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become hotel general managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

20 best online courses for hotel general managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hotel general managers

The most affordable schools for hotel general managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for hotel general managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for hotel general managers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hotel general managers

The hardest universities for hotel general managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for hotel general managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for hotel general managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hotel general managers

The easiest schools for hotel general managers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hotel general manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for hotel general managers.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average hotel general manager salary by education level

Hotel general managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $79,967 annually. With a Doctorate degree, hotel general managers earn a median annual income of $77,181 compared to $69,463 for hotel general managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Hotel general manager education level	Hotel general manager salary
Master's Degree	$79,967
High School Diploma or Less	$57,318
Bachelor's Degree	$69,463
Doctorate Degree	$77,181
Some College/ Associate Degree	$58,984

Hotel general manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Hotel General Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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