Best Online Master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs 2025

Badge for BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN HOSPITALITY AND-TOURISM

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Academic Influence Staff

Published: Sep 17, 2021
Updated: Sep 24, 2024

Top 10 Online Master's in Hospitality Degrees in 2025

University of Southern California
University of Alabama
University of Mississippi
+2
San Diego State University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
+4
Florida International University
+1
University of Central Florida
–1
University of North Texas
Roosevelt University
+1
University of Tennessee at Martin
+2

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or last ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the University of Mississippi gained two ranking positions. Johnson Wales University dropped out of the top ten to make way for the University of Tennessee at Martin to gain a top ten spot.

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Ranking: Best Online Master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Hospitality and Tourism Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Hospitality Administration/Management

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,236
Avg. Expenses*: $19,070
Avg. Starting Salary*: $49,952
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $63,444
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 3.33%
Number of Jobs: 510,600
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	5.75%	$133,560
Facilities Managers	5.27%	$102,340
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	6.67%	$97,130
Gambling Managers	3.77%	$82,380
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	5.40%	$79,590
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	10.89%	$73,460
Lodging Managers	9.94%	$65,360
Food Service Managers	1.50%	$63,060
First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers	5.12%	$61,210
Personal Service Managers, All Other	6.81%	$57,570

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	$133,560
Facilities Managers	$102,340
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$97,130
Gambling Managers	$82,380
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	$79,590
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	$73,460
Lodging Managers	$65,360
Food Service Managers	$63,060
First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers	$61,210
Personal Service Managers, All Other	$57,570

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

The master’s degree in hospitality is an advanced degree for students or professionals with an interest in executive leadership in the hospitality, tourism, or luxury sectors. Students who pursue a master’s degree in hospitality will study subjects like global tourism, resorts and environmental law, financial reporting in hospitality, and more. Undergraduates who transition into this program may significantly improve their earning potential and candidacy for leadership roles while working professionals can improve their potential for career advancement.

This advanced degree can be completed either in-person or online. However, if your program requires a master’s thesis, you may be expected to meet in person with an advisor, or to defend your findings before a committee. Most students will completed this 30 to 50-credit program in roughly two years and will qualify to work as administrators and executive leaders for hotel chains, restaurant groups, resorts, cruise companies, and much more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospitality and Tourism Degrees

A master’s degree in hospitality and tourism is ideal for those who wish to improve their earning potential, improve their opportunities for advancement, or deepen their knowledge in an area of specialization within the broader hospitality field. Although students in this program may work in a variety of fields, ranging from the food industry to lodging to business, many hospitality and tourism graduate programs allow students to customize their courses to fit their future goals.

The roughly 30-45 required credits, available both online and on campus, typically take about two to three years to complete.

Students will take classes on strategic leadership, social media and marketing, customer experience management, and tourism development, and can opt for either a thesis or non-thesis option.

Graduates will qualify to work in leadership roles such as restaurant general managers, hotel managers, and banquet directors.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs 2025

Top 10 Online Master's in Hospitality Degrees in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Featured Programs

Ranking: Best Online Master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Southern California

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Alabama

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Mississippi

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at San Diego State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Florida International University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Central Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of North Texas

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Roosevelt University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Tennessee at Martin

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Lynn University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Columbia College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Students with Hospitality and Tourism Degree

Hospitality Administration/Management

Degree Level: Master's

Career Salaries

Top Industries

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospitality and Tourism Degrees

Why get a master’s in hospitality and tourism?

How long does it take to get a master’s in hospitality and tourism?

What classes are taken when getting a master’s in hospitality and tourism?

What can you do with a master’s in hospitality and tourism?

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students