2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in New Jersey
[Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/baking-and-pastry-arts-baker-pastry-chef/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef students.
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2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools
Our analysis ranked Hudson County Community College the best value for a degree in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef in New Jersey. Hudson County Community College is a large public school located in the city of Jersey City. In-state tuition and fees average $5,384, while out-of-state students pay about $9,248. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $12,900 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $26,170. Set against $12,900 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Burlington County College one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the suburb of Mount Laurel, Burlington County College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,990, with out-of-state students paying around $9,495. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $12,488 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Burlington County College generally make around $52,240. Set against $12,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Passaic County Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Paterson, Passaic County Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,300, compared with $10,560 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $9,581 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $28,957. Set against $9,581 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Atlantic Cape Community College, which ranked #4. Atlantic Cape Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mays Landing. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,594, with out-of-state students paying around $8,350. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Atlantic Cape Community College generally make around $31,639. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Brookdale Community College, which ranked #5. Brookdale Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lincroft. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,270, with out-of-state students paying around $10,140. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $12,651 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $37,374. That is a strong return on a $12,651 median debt.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
