University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College

The Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston was established in 1969 by one of the most iconic names in the hospitality industry, Conrad N. Hilton. Consistently ranked one of the top hospitality programs in the world, our students benefit in countless ways from industry connections over 50 years in the making, including bi-annual job fairs, a wide range of internship opportunities, and a well-placed network of more than 10,000 alumni in leadership positions in more than 50 countries around the world. Hilton College offers a specialized business degree that prepares students for careers in the world’s top hotels, restaurants, resorts, casinos and clubs. With a job placement rate of 91 percent upon graduation, Hilton College students typically have their choice of job opportunities in the United States and abroad and always have a solid foundation for post-graduate work.
Hilton College, which shares the same building as its teaching hotel, houses two hospitality related industry institutes, numerous classrooms, two computer labs, a library and hospitality archives. Last spring, a new Center for Student Success opened, putting all the services needed to help students navigate their college careers under one roof. There is also a wine lab and several food science labs, including a beverage lab and product evaluation lab. And the College is home to a popular student-run coffee shop that, combined with its student lounge areas, gives students a “home away from home” to study and hang out with friends.
In addition to the Hilton University of Houston being the College’s teaching hotel where students apply theoretical learning to practical hands-on experiences, students have experiential learning opportunities in the production of important annual College events such as Gourmet Night, Industry Think Tanks, and Corks and Forks. When the world is your classroom, learning also takes place as easily in a vineyard as it does in a casino or on the floor of a major industry trade show. Naturally then, annual trips to places like Napa Valley, Las Vegas, Chicago and New York City are also part of the hands-on experiential curriculum.