The growth in the tourism and hospitality industry caused a tremendous increase in
the number and type of tourism and hospitality programs at two and four year colleges in the
United States. This study identified factors that influence students’ choices among in-state,
out-of-state, and international students. The study utilized exploratory factor analysis to
identify appropriate factors and multivariate analysis of variance to determine differences in
college choices among the three groups. The results of this research will be beneficial to
colleges in the development of appropriate promotions to differentiate themselves in a
meaningful way to potential students, not just in the United States but also over the world.