*Note: Due to the pandemic, receiving offers also includes students that had offers rescinded by companies.
Each year, we survey our newest graduates and report on their career outcomes and other Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration employment and job placement statistics. Of the 239 graduates of the Cornell Nolan School undergraduate class of 2020, 197 sought full-time employment. Ninety-three percent received employment offers and 87% had accepted job offers by September 30, 2020.
The Nolan School class of 2020 Bachelor of Science graduates received an average base salary of $69,394 plus a $14,958 average combined bonus. US-work-authorized graduates received a slightly higher average salary of $69,605 compared to those without US work authorization, at $67,857.
The survey data on salary bonuses received by our class of 2020 graduates combine signing and relocation bonuses. For those graduates who accepted full-time job offers, the average combined bonus was $14,958. That represented a 103% increase over the average bonus for the class of 2019 and included bonus and relocation compensation.
When you earn a hotel administration degree from the Nolan School, you’ve got bright career prospects: Your Hotelie bachelor’s degree plus the Cornell pedigree make you a premium candidate for some of the most exciting and successful organizations in the world.
Employers hiring Hotelies include many household names, like Four Seasons, Amazon, and CapitalOne — but you’ll find that our graduates are welcome at a wide array of organizations, from large Fortune 500 corporations to nonprofits to quickly growing tech startups. As a Hotelie, you have a wide range of job options in terms of industry, location, and type of organization, as employers immediately recognize the knowledge and capabilities that your Nolan School bachelor’s degree represents, and you can take advantage of Cornell’s strong relationships and reputation with corporate partners all over the world.
A few of the companies hiring our 2020 graduates for full-time positions include:
Amazon, attentive, Blackstone, CapitalOne, Curacity, EY, Four Seasons, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Wells Fargo.
EXPLORE HOTEL ADMINISTRATION DEGREE CAREERS
The prestigious organizations that hired our most recent class of Nolan School graduates are those shaping the industry and its future. Representing financial services and investment, real estate, hospitality and travel, consumer retail, technology, consulting, and many other sectors, these employers are among the most innovative and influential. The logos listed below represent a small portion of the top companies that employ Nolan School graduates.
“SHA [Nolan School] always sends us students who are engaged, excited, and equipped for a successful career in hospitality. These students communicate their passions and aspirations well in interviews, and prove themselves quickly when they join the organization. They are brilliant and contribute to innovation, efficiency, and taking our service to the next level. GO SHA [Nolan School]! Keep up the great work!”
– Tuesday Baptiste, Director of People & Culture
“Ohana Real Estate Investors (“Ohana”) likes hiring students from SHA [Nolan School] because the students come ready with industry context and prepared for real-world learning. Ohana finds SHA [Nolan School] students eager to learn and keen on making positive, lasting impact.”
– Jonathan Loke, Associate
For Hotelie graduates, the Nolan School name on your bachelor’s degree and the Cornell pedigree open doors to rewarding careers across the US and beyond. For prospective employers, these credentials immediately signal our graduates’ superior capabilities and commitment to service. Add to that Cornell’s robust network of connections with organizations around the world — from which students benefit even more through internships, networking events, and relationships with renowned, industry-connected faculty. The upshot is some of the strongest salary data you’ll find anywhere. The table below details the average base salary by region with percent employed in that region.
| Region | Average Base Salary | Percent Employed |
| United States | $70,784 | 95% |
| Northeast | $73,149 | 55% |
| West | $71,614 | 12% |
| Mid-Atlantic | $75,792 | 9% |
| South | $58,778 | 9% |
| Southwest | $55,200 | 7% |
| Midwest | $71,200 | 5% |
| International | N/A | 5% |
Versatile, multidisciplinary, and virtually recession-proof, a hotel administration degree from the Nolan School prepares you to excel in a wide range of industries — from investment banking to healthcare to technology, in addition to the traditional hospitality sectors. And Cornell’s robust, ongoing cultivation of employers in all industry sectors provides you with a superlative career network. That’s why you’ll see Hotelies entering so many different industries — and commanding top salaries while delivering superlative service, no matter their employer’s business.
| Industry | Average Base Salary | Percent Employed |
| Financial Services | $79,950 | 29% |
| Real Estate | $74,490 | 22% |
| Hospitality Operations | $55,350 | 19% |
| Technology | $69,007 | 11% |
| Consulting | $74,955 | 9% |
| Other* | $53,750 | 7% |
| Retail | $53,893 | 2% |
*Other includes advertising/PR/media, agribusiness, energy/utilities, healthcare/pharma, HR, manufacturing, nonprofit, and transportation services.
Hospitality is represented across a variety of industries from finance to real estate. The Nolan School prepares undergraduates for leadership roles that require the application of business principles in a hospitality context, allowing Nolan School graduates to enter into a variety of industries with hospitality connections.
The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration degree prepares you to excel in a wide variety of job functions, which is why you’ll find our graduates working in practically any organizational department. With strong classroom and practical training in all business disciplines, from finance, management, and accounting to sales and marketing, operations, and entrepreneurship, the Hotelie experience is the perfect launchpad for success on day one of your first job.
| Function | Average Base Salary | Percent Employed |
| Finance | $73,381 | 50% |
| General Management | $57,557 | 19% |
| Consulting | $76,194 | 12% |
| Marketing and Sales | $56,679 | 11% |
| Operations and Logistics | $59,750 | 4% |
| Other* | $63,833 | 4% |
*Other includes data analytics and human resources.
Ready to learn more about what the Nolan School’s hotel administration degree can do for your career? Learn more about our program, see more employment data, and get started on your application now.