by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management explores Hotel, Motel, And Restaurant Management. An Instructional Program That Prepares Individuals To Manage Operations And Facilities That Provide Food And/or Lodging Services To The Traveling Public. Includes Instruction In Hospitality Industry Principles; Supplies Purchasing, Storage, And Control; Hotel And Restaurant Facilities Design And Planning; Hospitality Industry Law; Personnel Management And Labor Relations; Financial Management; Facilities Management; Marketing And Sale Promotion Strategies; Convention And Event Management; Front Desk Operations; And Applications To Specific Types Of Hotel, Motel, And/or Restaurant Operations. Note: This Program Was Re-Instated After Being Deleted From Cip 2000; Previously, It Was Coded As 52.0902. Continue reading for the essential details every hotel, motel, and restaurant management student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering hotel, motel, and restaurant management programs.
Nationwide, hotel, motel, and restaurant management draws strong interest, with 432 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management Schools ranking analyzes these 46 schools to determine the best overall colleges for hotel, motel, and restaurant management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of hotel, motel, and restaurant management programs later in this article.
Studies in Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a hotel, motel, and restaurant management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a hotel, motel, and restaurant management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several hotel, motel, and restaurant management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 38 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 87 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 52 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 244 |
People currently working in careers related to hotel, motel, and restaurant management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 25.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 16.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 15.4% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 13.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 10.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 10.3% |
| Master’s degree | 4.6% |
| Some college courses | 3.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.1% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in hotel, motel, and restaurant management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in hotel, motel, and restaurant management opens doors to numerous career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to hotel, motel, and restaurant management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to hotel, motel, and restaurant management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 397,799 | 7.7% |
| Lodging Managers | 219,858 | 14.8% |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | 181,317 | 10.6% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $35,616 |
| 4 years | $42,558 |
| 5 years | $47,733 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers hotel, motel, and restaurant management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | $165,782 |
| Lodging Managers | $95,461 |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $80,576 |
With 46 different hotel, motel, and restaurant management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased hotel, motel, and restaurant management school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in hotel, motel, and restaurant management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Hospitality Administration/Management, General | 8,041 |
| Hotel/Motel Administration/Management | 1,734 |
| Tourism and Travel Services Management | 921 |
| Meeting and Event Planning | 730 |
| Restaurant/Food Services Management | 730 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management, Other | 584 |
| Resort Management | 130 |
| Casino Management | 23 |
| Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management | 8 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
