Best Hospitality & Tourism Management Schools Near Murray, KY

Murray, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs, with tuition ranging from $42,540 to $62,570 per year for indexed programs. Murray has a population of about 17,888. Median household income is $40,348 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning hospitality management-related role is Food Service Manager at a median $70,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Hospitality Management Schools to Murray

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer hospitality management programs near Murray, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Murray 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 Murray. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 106.2 miles from Murray
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Sullivan University

Louisville, KY 182.6 miles from Murray
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,008
Avg net price $25,532/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 231.6 miles from Murray
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 234.5 miles from Murray
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,795
Avg net price $11,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Hospitality Management Wages Near Murray

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Kentucky, statewide)
Lodging Manager$59,440
Food Service Manager$70,410
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner$49,280

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.


Murray at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population17,888Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$40,348Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Murray-Area Cities With Hospitality Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited hospitality management schools are near Murray, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs near Murray. The closest is Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson in Jackson, TN (77.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Belmont University (91.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying hospitality management-related roles in Kentucky are: Food Service Manager ($70,410), Lodging Manager ($59,440), Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner ($49,280). Wages for Murray workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Paducah instead of Murray?

Paducah, KY is 36.2 miles from Murray 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 Murray an affordable place to study hospitality management?

Murray’s median household income of $40,348 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Murray while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Murray

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

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.