2027 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/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef students.
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2027 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools
Leading the list is Mercer County Community College, our #1 best value for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef in New Jersey. Set in the rural area of West Windsor, Mercer County Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,310, while out-of-state students pay about $9,174. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $12,250. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Mercer County Community College generally make around $45,389. Set against $12,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hudson County Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the city of Jersey City, Hudson County Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $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. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Hudson County Community College earn a median of $26,170 early in their careers. Set against $12,900 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, with out-of-state students paying around $10,560. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $9,581 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Passaic County Community College earn a median of $28,957 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,581 median debt.
Atlantic Cape Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the rural area of Mays Landing, Atlantic Cape Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,594, while out-of-state students pay about $8,350. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Atlantic Cape Community College earn a median of $31,639 early in their careers. 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. Located in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,270 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,140 for out-of-state students. 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 ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
