2026 Best Value Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/hospitality-management/hotel-motel-and-restaurant-management/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for hotel, motel, and restaurant management students.
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2026 Best Value Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in hotel, motel, and restaurant management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management Schools
Joliet Junior College earned the #1 spot for value among hotel, motel, and restaurant management schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,530, while out-of-state students pay about $13,800. Hotel, Motel, And Restaurant Management graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans. Soon after graduation, hotel, motel, and restaurant management degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Set against $11,995 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes College Of Dupage one of the best values for hotel, motel, and restaurant management. Set in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,560, while out-of-state students pay about $12,750. Typical student debt for hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates is $12,492. Early-career hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates make about $43,025. Set against $12,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Madison Area Technical College earned it the #3 place for hotel, motel, and restaurant management. Set in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,977, while out-of-state students pay about $7,141. Typical student debt for hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates is $16,812. Early-career hotel, motel, and restaurant management graduates make about $44,279. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
