Keystone logo

Top 10 Universities to Study Hotel Management in 2024

We've gathered this list of 10 universities to help you find the perfect study abroad option in 2024.

Dec 8, 2016
  • Top 10 Rankings
  • Tourism & Hospitality
  • Deciding Where to Study
  • Management
Top Hotel Management Programs Worldwide

Tourism and hospitality graduates are in high demand, and there are numerous academic institutions offering world-class hotel management and hospitality programs. Even though the US dominates the rankings, there are a number of contenders from other countries that have unique and special offerings for both the student and the hospitality industry.

Our top 10 ranking is based on quality of the academic programs, internships, employability, diversity, student attitudes and industry attitudes toward the institution. Find a high-quality program in hotel management using our list below.

Want to find a hotel management program?

Find & compare programs using our search below.

School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University - USA

A busy street in New York

Cornell University has been pioneers of the hospitality industry for nearly a century since introducing hotel operations in 1922. The close relationship with the world class Statler Hotel, located on the campus grounds, facilitates a rich learning experience. Around 200 students work closely with hospitality professionals where they are able to apply their skills to all areas of hotel operations. They have a program for 3rd year students to study abroad to obtain some extremely valuable international experience.

Their student intake totals around 960 undergraduates from more than 30 countries. Every year, 250 hospitality leaders participate in classes. Every student will do a minimum of one internship every year. Each will receive 800 hours of industry experience before graduating and be introduced to more than 1 200 job opportunities through the school’s career office.

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) - Switzerland

A river in Switzerland

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, established in 1893 offers five academic programs ranging from undergraduate through to executive level qualifications. Their ever-growing network of alumni consists of 25 000 individuals who provide valuable leads and opportunities in the industry.

In 2016, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne had 2 608 students enrolled and a total of 107 nationalities represented. This diverse student base adds to the rich learning environment this renowned institution provides.

William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at University of Nevada, Las VegasUSA

A shot of the Las Vegas strip

The Harrah Hotel College is situated close to possibly the most renowned hospitality playpen in the world, the famous Las Vegas Strip. Being this close to the strip exposes students to the practical applications of their trade.

Every year, Harrah Hotel College arranges hundreds of internships, connects more than 170 mentors with students, and arranges recruitment events attended by more than 100 national hospitality brands. These are but a few of the qualities that makes this institution a strong contender for the best university to study hotel management.

Rosen College of Hospitality Management at University of Central Florida - USA

American cityscape

Orlando Florida was the most visited destination in the US in 2015 so it is not surprising that Rosen College of Hospitality Management is placed close to the top of the rankings.

Their students benefit enormously from learning and working in this vibrant hospitality market with its abundance of resorts, restaurants, attractions and more. The school boasts a faculty of recognized experts representing 17 countries. Through partnerships, they provide students with access to scholarships, memberships, internships, guest speakers, and networking opportunities.

Oxford School of Hospitality Management (Oxford Brookes University) - United Kingdom

Interior of a fancy bar

Oxford’s prestigious history has clearly filtered into their hospitality academic programs as well. They have a diverse student-base representing 55 countries. Their partnership with 20 universities worldwide provides their students the opportunity to study abroad, via their international exchange program, in countries like Canada, Hong Kong, USA, Thailand and Australia.

The international student has access to a number of scholarships to assist with tuition fees and living costs. Oxford School of Hospitality Management accepts individuals into 3rd or 4th year if they have a qualification in a hospitality related subject and have at least 40 weeks of full time experience in the industry.

Hotelschool The Hague (Hospitality Business School) - Netherlands

Students walking and talking together at university

Hotelschool The Hague offers its hospitality programs through two world class campuses located in The Hague and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Founded in 1929, the institution now caters to students from more than 60 nationalities.

Hotelschool's 4-year Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management is a challenging, business- and practical-oriented program designed to meet the constantly changing needs of the hospitality industry. This degree qualifies for the International Fast Track program making it attractive to those who already have hospitality-related studies. These individuals are allowed to complete the program over a shorter time period.

Hotelschool The Hague keeps it's strong legacy in mind while educating and paving the way for future hospitality leaders. An impressive 99% of Alumni of Hotelschool would recommend its hospitality program.

Les Roches International School of Hotel Management - Switzerland

Beautiful scenic view in Switzerland

Les Roches International School of Hotel Management conduct their courses in English to a diverse student-base from all over the world.

The school has a strong focus on the student’s learning experience. They have a Follow Me program for individuals interested in enrolling, that allows them to be a student for a day. They also offer a degree that enables the student to study all over the world in hospitality and tourism locations.

Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management at the University of HoustonUSA

A tram pulls up at a station

The Hilton College is a consistent top performer that provides a rich experiential learning approach that provides its students a solid platform from which to launch their careers. They produce quality professionals with 80% of their students securing work before  graduating.

Hilton College offers a hospitality industry summer camp program for school students interested in getting into the hospitality industry. The 3 day camps introduce participants to the industry through tours to the top hospitality destinations in Houston, meeting industry executives, preparing meals with hotel’s chefs and learning about college life.

Glion Institute of Higher Education Switzerland

A stunning view of mountains in Switzerland

Situated above the Swiss Riviera, overlooking Lake Geneva and with the Swiss and French Alps in view, Glion Institute has been producing quality professionals for the hospitality industry for more than 50 years.

Demand for Glion graduates are very high with an impressive 86% either being employed or having multiple job offers. They have a diverse student base comprised of 98 nationalities with 93% of attendees being international students. The school provides the student with a wonderful learning experience and with its simulated hotel with 5 restaurants, provides their learners the ideal opportunity to hone their skills.

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) - Dubai

A building in Dubai

The importance of location can never be understated and this has never been more true than for EAHM. Situated opposite Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, the world’s most luxurious hotel, this prestigious school gets to exploit the thriving hospitality industry of Dubai.

The institution is part of the Jumeirah Group and this allows their students to access and work in the internationally renowned Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts. EAHM provides a part time MBA in International Hospitality Management to accommodate the professional who cannot afford to put pause to their careers and lives to study.

Need some more inspiration?

Check out our Top 10 countries in the world to study abroad!

Selection Criteria

Universities included in our ''Top 10 Universities to Study Hotel Management'' list were chosen for a variety of qualitative factors that we hope will help international students find their ideal university abroad.

Factors include the percentage of international students enrolled in the university and services provided to them before, during, and after their studies including internship availability and extra-curriculars. We also took into account global and national rankings of the university, popularity of the study abroad destination and openness of the host-country to international students including ease of application to student visas.

Whenever possible, we took into account student reviews as well as private evaluations emailed to educations.com which indicate the early levels of service provided to prospective international students.

We've also tried our best to include universities of varying size located in various countries to help expose prospective international students to a variety of options they have available.

Finally, we researched whenever available the percentage of employment of international students after graduation and the importance placed on programs to prepare students for an increasingly changing world.