Discover Hospitality Management: Our Undergraduate Hotel Administration Degree

For a century, the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration has been pioneering and reimagining hospitality management. The Cornell Nolan School’s research and teaching continue to push boundaries in the pursuit of service excellence. As a hotel administration major, you’ll be immersed in a business education infused with the spirit of hospitality – an unforgettable learning experience combining classroom instruction with hands-on practice. You’ll join the only Ivy League program of its kind and enjoy the camaraderie of our proud Hotelie community, which counts the world’s foremost hoteliers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, travel connoisseurs, and technologists among its ranks. Earn an AACSB-accredited, business-focused hotel administration bachelor’s degree in the world’s largest, most exciting industry, offering a wide range of rewarding careers.Undergraduate degree icon


What Is Hotel Administration?

Hotel administration is the study of all things hospitality. Expertise in the guest experience and analysis through a hospitality lens prepares individuals to excel in a variety of people-focused fields.

two students unpacking a car

Why Study Hospitality Management at the Nolan School?

There are many advantages to earning a hotel administration degree at the Nolan School, starting with our immersive experience in the business of hospitality. Our approach pairs traditional coursework with hands-on experiential opportunities. No matter what corner of the industry interests you, we prepare you for career success with a strong foundation of business skills, crucial real-estate knowledge, strategy informed by data, and the pursuit of innovation.

Read More about The Nolan School


Highlights of Our Hospitality Management Program

  • Student Profile 48% Women, 18% Underrepresented Minorities, 32 Countries
  • Clubs and Organizations 23 at the Nolan School; 1,000+ at Cornell; 11% Study Abroad
  • Career Trajectory Average Base Salary: $69K
    Full-time Job Offers: 93%
  • Alumni Network Hotel Alumni: 13K; 45K Business School Alumni; Cornell Alumni: 325K

Undergraduate Learning Goals

Two students in a lecture hall

Graduates of our Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration can apply fundamental business principles to analyze situations in a diverse hospitality management context. They have a command of written and verbal professional communications and interact effectively with diverse teams. They are ethical business leaders and hospitality professionals with the self-knowledge required for ongoing personal and professional development as business leaders in the hospitality industry.


Two students working on their laptops

Hospitality Management Academics

We combine the best of both worlds: a focused core curriculum to give you the essential business and hospitality-management skills, with the flexibility to take advantage of Cornell’s liberal arts offerings. You can complete two-thirds of your major coursework within your first two years, exploring the breadth of hospitality so you can discover your passions early on.

Explore Academics at The Nolan School 


Student Life at the Nolan School

An Unparalleled Student Experience that Affords You a Clear Career Advantage

two students sitting on the grass

When you join the Nolan School hospitality management degree program and the Hotelie community, you also enjoy all that Cornell has to offer — from its richly diverse community to unlimited venues to explore your interests. As a Hotelie, you can focus on research, study abroad, gain real management experience, and sample all aspects of the hospitality industry. It’s an unmatched student experience that gives you an enviable career advantage.


sha-undergradhome-career-1500×1125

Hotel Administration & Hospitality Management Careers

Your Hospitality and Hotel Administration Career Awaits

Much more than a traditional hospitality management degree, the Nolan School’s hotel administration degree prepares you with the essential business knowledge and skills, the strong foundation in real estate, and the hands-on experience to be a confident, effective professional. With a hospitality management degree from the Nolan School, you’re ready for career success in any industry.

Access Career Resources


sha-undergradhome-admissions-1500×1125

Nolan School Admissions

You’re here because you’re interested in a career in hospitality management, and we want to ensure that the Nolan School will provide the right fit for you. We welcome bright, hardworking candidates who are ready to devote themselves to the pursuit of service excellence — and to each other. Familiarize yourself with our hospitality management program and our admissions requirements.

Discover Nolan School Programs


students sitting in class

Tuition and Financial Aid at the Nolan School

Enrolling at the Nolan School is an important investment in your future. Cornell is committed to need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid. This means we welcome students based on their merits and support those who lack the means to afford an education. In the spirit of founder Ezra Cornell, we don’t want a lack of funding to hinder promising futures. Access financing resources, monetary awards, and scholarship opportunities available to you.

Learn More 


Apply Now

The Nolan School is the first step to success in your hospitality career. With our rigorous academic coursework, experiential learning opportunities, unmatched student experience, challenging and supportive faculty, and the tight-knit Hotelie community — all backed by an Ivy League pedigree and Cornell credentials — the start of your successful career in hospitality management is only a click away.


icon person holding a book icon

Are You a Current Student?

Did you navigate here by accident? Get sidetracked? Here’s the path back to our Current Students page.

Current Students