Best Hospitality & Tourism Management Schools Near Akron, OH

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

Akron, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs. Akron has a population of about 189,526. Median household income is $48,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Akron, OH metro area, the top-earning hospitality management-related role is Food Service Manager at a median $62,970 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Hospitality Management Schools to Akron

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer hospitality management programs near Akron, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Akron 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 Akron. 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

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 10.4 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 26.5 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lakewood University

Cleveland Heights, OH 31.2 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, OH 36.8 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,837
Avg net price $3,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ashland University

Ashland, OH 44.3 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,928
Avg net price $21,988/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,210
Out‑of‑state$31,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH 45.6 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,544
Avg net price $12,767/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bowling Green State University-Firelands

Huron, OH 59.9 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $17,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Kent State University at Ashtabula

Ashtabula, OH 66.3 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $12,205/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 38%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Hospitality Management Wages Near Akron

Akron is part of the Akron, OH metro area (BLS area code 10420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Lodging Manager$50,180Akron, OH$53,726
Food Service Manager$62,970Akron, OH$67,420
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner$52,640Akron, OH$56,360

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.

Akron at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population189,526Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Akron-Area Cities With Hospitality Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited hospitality management schools are near Akron, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering hospitality management programs near Akron. The closest is Kent State University at Kent in Kent, OH (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lorain County Community College (36.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying hospitality management roles near Akron?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying hospitality management-related roles near Akron are: Food Service Manager ($62,970), Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner ($52,640), Lodging Manager ($50,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cuyahoga Falls instead of Akron?

Cuyahoga Falls, OH is 5.8 miles from Akron 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 Akron an affordable place to study hospitality management?

Akron’s median household income of $48,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Akron while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Akron

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

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 Ohio (2026)