Best Online Master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs

Badge for BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM

Published: Sep 17, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in hospitality and tourism degree programs for students 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.

Top 10 Online Master's in Hospitality Degrees

University of Southern California
University of Alabama
Johnson & Wales University
San Diego State University
University of Mississippi
University of Central Florida
Florida International University
University of North Texas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Roosevelt University

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

Columbia College 98%
University of Mississippi 97%
Roosevelt University 88%
University of Tennessee at Martin 88%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 85%
University of Alabama 80%
Lynn University 80%
University of North Texas 79%
Florida International University 64%
University of Central Florida 41%

University of Central Florida 29 to 1
San Diego State University 25 to 1
Florida International University 24 to 1
University of North Texas 23 to 1
University of Alabama 19 to 1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 18 to 1
Lynn University 18 to 1
University of Mississippi 16 to 1
University of Tennessee at Martin 15 to 1
Roosevelt University 11 to 1

University of Southern California $64,726
Lynn University $41,550
Roosevelt University $33,068
Columbia College $22,050
University of Alabama $11,100
University of Mississippi $9,072
University of Tennessee at Martin $8,378
University of North Texas $8,295
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $8,159
San Diego State University $5,742

University of Southern California $63,468
Roosevelt University $22,764
Lynn University $13,500
Columbia College $13,232
University of Alabama $11,100
University of Tennessee at Martin $9,278
Florida International University $9,119
University of Mississippi $9,072
San Diego State University $7,176
University of Central Florida $6,916

Columbia College
University of Tennessee at Martin
Lynn University
Roosevelt University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of North Texas
Florida International University
University of Central Florida
University of Mississippi
San Diego State University

Columbia College
Lynn University
Johnson & Wales University
University of Tennessee at Martin
Roosevelt University
University of Central Florida
University of North Texas
Florida International University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
San Diego State University

University of Southern California 12%
San Diego State University 39%
University of Central Florida 41%
Florida International University 64%
University of North Texas 79%
Lynn University 80%
University of Alabama 80%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 85%
University of Tennessee at Martin 88%
Roosevelt University 88%

University of Southern California 9 to 1
Roosevelt University 11 to 1
Columbia College 11 to 1
University of Tennessee at Martin 15 to 1
University of Mississippi 16 to 1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 18 to 1
Lynn University 18 to 1
University of Alabama 19 to 1
University of North Texas 23 to 1
Florida International University 24 to 1

University of Central Florida $4,478
Florida International University $4,721
San Diego State University $5,742
University of Nevada, Las Vegas $8,159
University of North Texas $8,295
University of Tennessee at Martin $8,378
University of Mississippi $9,072
University of Alabama $11,100
Columbia College $22,050
Roosevelt University $33,068

University of Nevada, Las Vegas $5,976
University of North Texas $6,350
University of Central Florida $6,916
San Diego State University $7,176
University of Mississippi $9,072
Florida International University $9,119
University of Tennessee at Martin $9,278
University of Alabama $11,100
Columbia College $13,232
Lynn University $13,500

Table of Contents

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.

Featured Programs

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.

How do we determine the best online hospitality and tourism master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

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

Career Outlook for Students with Hospitality and Tourism Degree

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Hospitality Administration/Management

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,133
Avg. Expenses*: $17,657
Avg. Starting Salary*: $46,285
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $63,444
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 6 years
Job Growth: 1.81%
Number of Jobs: 457,800
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	3.35%	$106,040
Facilities Managers	4.57%	$95,139
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	7.01%	$86,765
Gambling Managers	1.89%	$83,473
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	8.33%	$69,366
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	4.15%	$68,342
Personal Service Managers, All Other	4.33%	$62,392
Lodging Managers	6.70%	$61,470
Food Service Managers	0.47%	$60,611
First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers	3.03%	$51,959

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$43,547	$68,959	$113,242

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 Texas	10% higher than average	$75,548
#3 New York	5% higher than average	$85,634
#4 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$91,916
#5 Michigan	15% higher than average	$68,159
#6 Virginia	5% higher than average	$74,722
#7 Kansas	9% higher than average	$71,238
#8 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$73,311
#9 Alabama	13% higher than average	$66,169
#10 Washington	7% higher than average	$80,062
#11 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$64,242
#12 Delaware	2% higher than average	$76,617
#13 Colorado	3% higher than average	$77,261
#14 Georgia	13% higher than average	$64,790
#15 Arizona	5% higher than average	$70,706
#16 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$65,444
#17 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$70,043
#18 Missouri	16% higher than average	$61,905
#19 Utah	4% higher than average	$70,558
#20 Florida	6% higher than average	$68,487
#21 Ohio	14% higher than average	$62,093
#22 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$85,565
#23 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$66,759
#24 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$65,522
#25 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$65,594
#26 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$60,910
#27 Illinois	7% higher than average	$64,969
#28 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$82,362
#29 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$68,307
#30 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$63,839
#31 Iowa	9% higher than average	$62,072
#32 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$58,253
#33 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$60,764
#34 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$59,711
#35 Indiana	11% higher than average	$59,379
#36 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$74,564
#37 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$81,829
#38 Maryland	18% higher than average	$76,233
#39 Idaho	7% higher than average	$59,707
#40 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$52,809
#41 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$53,666
#42 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$59,364
#43 North Dakota	average	$62,784
#44 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$91,933
#45 Maine	9% higher than average	$67,135
#46 Montana	3% higher than average	$59,569
#47 Nevada	5% higher than average	$62,958
#48 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$83,833
#49 California	26% higher than average	$74,268
#50 Vermont	13% higher than average	$66,244
#51 Oregon	11% higher than average	$62,998
#52 Alaska	23% higher than average	$69,528

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Managers, All Other	$106,040
Facilities Managers	$95,139
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$86,765
Gambling Managers	$83,473
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	$69,366
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	$68,342
Personal Service Managers, All Other	$62,392
Lodging Managers	$61,470
Food Service Managers	$60,611
First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers	$51,959

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.

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

Top 10 Online Master's in Hospitality Degrees

Featured Programs

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?

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

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

Online Degrees

Concentrations

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

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at University of Mississippi

Online Degrees

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

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Florida International University

Online Degrees

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

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 Roosevelt University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Hospitality and Tourism degree at Lynn University

Online Degrees

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

Online Degrees

Concentrations

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

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

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

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