Hotel manager education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a hotel manager?

A degree is not required to be a hotel manager in most cases; however, a bachelor's degree in hospitality or resort management is desirable to most employers. This is particularly true of larger hotel chains and luxury resorts.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hotel manager. Hotel managers usually study business, hospitality management, or health care administration. 57% of hotel managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,088 real hotel manager resumes to see exactly what hotel manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for hotel managers are the University of Nevada - Las Vegas and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

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

There are certain hotel manager certifications that you should consider. These hotel manager certifications include Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and Food Safety Manager Certification.

What education do you need to become a hotel manager?

What degree do you need to be a hotel manager?

The most common degree for hotel managers is bachelor's degree, with 57% of hotel managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 11%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a hotel manager?

You should major in business to become a hotel manager. 29% of hotel managers major in business. Other common majors for a hotel manager include hospitality management and health care administration.

Business, 29%

Hospitality Management, 21%

Health Care Administration, 7%

Accounting, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for hotel managers

Hotel managers often get their degrees at University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Johnson & Wales University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for hotel managers in the US based on their resumes.

Hotel manager common college	Percentages
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	19.74%
Johnson & Wales University	11.18%
University of Phoenix	9.87%
Cornell University	8.55%
Florida State University	4.61%

Show more common hotel manager colleges

Best majors for hotel managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.6%
2	Hospitality Management	21.1%
3	Health Care Administration	6.5%
4	Accounting	5.1%
5	Management	5.0%

Show more common hotel manager majors

Best colleges for hotel managers

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

A hotel 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 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 managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

7. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for hotel managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hotel managers

The most affordable schools for hotel managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for hotel 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 managers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hotel managers

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

Some great schools for hotel 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 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

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

The easiest schools for hotel managers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hotel 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 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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,039

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average hotel manager salary by education level

According to our data, hotel managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $95,705 annually. Hotel managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $77,540.

Hotel manager education level	Hotel manager salary
Master's Degree	$95,705
High School Diploma or Less	$64,447
Bachelor's Degree	$77,540
Some College/ Associate Degree	$70,483

Hotel manager education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a hotel manager?

What is the best college for Hotel 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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