Best Hospitality & Tourism Management Schools Near Ottumwa, IA

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Ottumwa, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs. Ottumwa has a population of about 25,352. Median household income is $56,994 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning hospitality management-related role is Food Service Manager at a median $66,700 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Hospitality Management Schools to Ottumwa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer hospitality management programs near Ottumwa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ottumwa city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Ottumwa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 63.7 miles from Ottumwa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 73.3 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,016
Avg net price $9,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 78.0 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,018
Avg net price $11,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 78.6 miles from Ottumwa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,787
Avg net price $20,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 94.3 miles from Ottumwa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 97.6 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,849
Avg net price $9,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA 205.9 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $13,933/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Western Iowa Tech Community College

Sioux City, IA 226.4 miles from Ottumwa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,473
Avg net price $8,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa hospitality management page.

Hospitality Management Wages Near Ottumwa

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Iowa, statewide)
Lodging Manager$59,680
Food Service Manager$66,700
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner$51,750

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Ottumwa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,352Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,994Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Ottumwa-Area Cities With Hospitality Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited hospitality management schools are near Ottumwa, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs near Ottumwa. The closest is University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (63.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa State University (94.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying hospitality management roles in Iowa?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying hospitality management-related roles in Iowa are: Food Service Manager ($66,700), Lodging Manager ($59,680), Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner ($51,750). Wages for Ottumwa workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Coralville instead of Ottumwa?

Coralville, IA is 63.4 miles from Ottumwa and has its own set of local hospitality management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Ottumwa an affordable place to study hospitality management?

Ottumwa’s median household income of $56,994 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ottumwa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Hospitality Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Ottumwa

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ottumwa:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Hospitality & Tourism Management Schools in Iowa (2026)