Earning a hotel management degree can open many doors and help you achieve a position at any number of hotel management positions all the way down to baking and pastry jobs. Whatever goal you have, it's important to know all the costs upfront before investing several years of your life.

Learn about tuition costs from the different levels of education when looking for schools for hospitality degrees. This can be the first of many steps you need to take to secure that degree and get started on your career. Consider the following when reviewing pricing and costs of hospitality schools:

1. Investigate associate's degrees from a hospitality school.

2. Seek out bachelor's degree programs from hotel management schools.

3. Think about furthering your education with a master's degree in hospitality training.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start off your career successfully with an associate degree from a hotel management school

If you are just starting your hospitality career, then you might need schooling experience to help you advance. Securing an associate's degree might be the best way to go, as it should only take you a short amount of time to attend hospitality classes and finish the degree. Expect to spend $3,000 to $15,000 annually, depending on residency and course load.

I recommend: Mt. Hood Community College provides an associate of applied science degree for hospitality and tourism management. You will be mentored through hospitality programs with hands-on experiences, and you can also obtain certificates in a wide array of hospitality specializations. Bay State College also offers an associate's degree in hospitality management. Students work closely with alumni and other members of the business community for a successful hospitality learning experience.

Search for the best bachelor's degree prices for hospitality programs

Deciding what school to attend to earn your bachelor's in hospitality degree can depend on several key items. Ask yourself if you would rather take classes in a classroom or online as well as how much attending school will set you back. Comparing prices is something most consumers do when purchasing expensive consumer products, so an education should not be any different. Prices for a hospitality program can range from $10,000 to $25,000 annually depending upon where you select to attend.

I recommend: Go to the New England Culinary Institute to check out its hospitality and restaurant management program. Stratford University offers its bachelor of arts in hospitality management through a physical classroom setting or online.

Seek out a master's degree by taking hospitality management training courses

Although there is no requirement to securing a master's degree, furthering your education can be beneficial to learning about the latest tools of the trade, industry changes and the best ways to serve guests. Master's degree programs can run from $15,000 to more than $30,000.

I recommend: The University of North Texas offers a master's degree in hospitality management. With its proximity to downtown Dallas-Fort Worth, students have a chance to learn hands-on from the numerous hospitality businesses. Fairleigh Dickinson University features a master's of science degree in hospitality management.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  By obtaining an internship or enrolling in a distance learning program through the college, you can experience a different culture while working on your hospitality degree. These courses tend to be pricier, as they require traveling as well as housing and on-site learning. Expect to spend $15,000 to $40,000 annually, depending on in-state or out-of-state tuition, and you might possibly need to pay more, depending upon the school's study abroad program.

If you are looking for a new career, one that is creative, challenging and exciting, consider getting a hospitality degree.

There are a variety of hospitality programs available, ranging from hotel management to professional cooking degrees. A hospitality degree can take as little as 2 years for an Associate’s degree or take as long as 6 years for a Master’s degree.

Hospitality schools offer students a competitive edge in the hospitality industry. Hotel management degrees combine business sense with technical skills and hands-on training through internships for a well-rounded student who can compete in today’s global market.

Hospitality training includes:

1. Culinary training for cooking
2. Baking and pastry
3. Hotel management
4. Hospitality marketing

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide what area to pursue in hospitality

Hospitality classes cover several areas within the hospitality industry. Students can get a hospitality management degree that focuses in culinary arts, hotel management, tourism or marketing. Along with courses in the hospitality industry, students also take classes in English composition, mathematics, nutrition and electives. If you hope to one day own your own hotel or restaurant, keep that in mind when looking at degree programs.

I recommend: Johnson & Wales University offers one of the nation's best culinary and hospitality training. Johnson & Wales has campuses in Providence, Rhode Island, North Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado, and Charlotte, North Carolina. The Culinary Institute of America is a leading cooking school with hospitality programs based in upstate New York.

Find hotel management schools near you

There are hospitality schools in every state in the US. Many hotel management schools and culinary training courses are part of community college networks, who offer affordable tuition and flexible schedules for working adults.

I recommend: CollegeSurfing.net offers a list of hotel management schools throughout the United States.

Travel to hotel management schools abroad

If you are lucky enough to be able to travel for school, consider going to a hospitality school abroad for your training. Not only do you get to travel and see the world, you will learn about cultures and hospitality in other countries. What better way to polish up a resume?

I recommend: Get your hotel management degree through Le Cordon Bleu, a global university with campuses all over the world, including London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. Les Roches is another hotel management school based in Spain, where you can learn about the European style of management.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many hospitality schools help graduates with job placement, helping people move from student to hospitality employee seamlessly.

Whether you want to go into hotel management, restaurant management, run a travel agency, operate tours or work in the airline industry, you'll need to look into hospitality schools advice and ratings. The hospitality industry is far-reaching and diverse, and it's easy to get confused or sidetracked during your educational path. Every hospitality school claims they are the biggest and best. Every school for hospitality training says they have the most successful graduates. And many hospitality schools charge big money--no matter how great or flimsy an education they give you. Therefore, it's vital to research any school you're considering with a great deal of care.
Among the ways to research the worth of a hospitality and hotel management school is to see if professional hospitality organizations recommend or recognize the school. Also, look into how strong the school's affiliations are with big industry leaders. In addition, consider the following:
1. Look at the most popular college rankings for schools offering hospitality degree programs.
2. Understand how those rankings for schools offering hospitality classes are developed.
3. Look to professional organizations for advice about the best hospitality and hotel management training for continuing education.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research popular college rankings for advice about hospitality management degree programs

Possibly the most famous ranking source for colleges is U.S. News & World Report, which allows you to easily search for colleges and universities with hospitality programs. Two other popular sources are Forbes magazine and websites that allow students to write reviews of the schools they attend.

I recommend: U.S. News & World Report provides a list of universities and colleges that you can search for hospitality majors. Students Review allows you to search colleges and read what students have to say about them. Forbes.com also has its own list of America's best colleges.

Learn how popular rankings for schools offering hotel management degree programs are determined

To determine which colleges to rank highest, U.S. News & World Report looks at such factors as how much money the college has for research, the student-teacher ratio, SAT scores, acceptance rates and similar statistics. Forbes.com looks at quality of education, student evaluations, how many students actually graduate every four years and faculty and student achievement awards, among other things. These methods are far from infallible, so don't forget to look at other sources for ranking colleges.

I recommend: CollegeConfidential.com gives the scoop on how U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.com come up with their rankings for schools for hospitality; click on the "U.S. News" or "Forbes.com" link to learn more. The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign offers links to other ranking websites, including "Best Colleges for Asian Americans," "Top 25 Colleges for Latinos" and "Online College Rankings."

Go to professional organizations for information on continuing education hotel management schools

When you aren't seeking a degree but just a 'brush-up' or a class to provide new information to make your business even better, continuing education courses are great tools. Hospitality associations are often the best sources of information on continuing education courses.

I recommend: Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association provides information about courses from high school through the continuing education levels. Hospitality Net is a trade website that, among many other things, keeps hospitality professionals up to date on the latest and best continuing education possibilities.