2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in New York
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 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 York
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 Suffolk County Community College the best value for a degree in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef in New York. Located in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,630, while out-of-state students pay about $12,460. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,246 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Suffolk County Community College generally make around $35,667. Set against $11,246 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Erie Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,100, compared with $11,300 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $6,439 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Erie Community College generally make around $15,565. That is a strong return on a $6,439 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Niagara County Community College earned it the #3 place for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the rural area of Sanborn, Niagara County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,894 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,030 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $12,000. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Niagara County Community College generally make around $26,514. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Monroe College Main Campus one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the city of Bronx, Monroe College Main Campus is a large private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,464. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $13,364. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $18,256. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Monroe College Main Campus admits about 68% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Suny College Of Technology At Alfred, which ranked #5. Located in the rural area of Alfred, Suny College Of Technology At Alfred is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,892, with out-of-state students paying around $16,837. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Suny College Of Technology At Alfred earn a median of $26,598 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny College Of Technology At Alfred admits about 76% of applicants.
Suny College Of Technology At Delhi placed #6 among the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the rural area of Delhi, Suny College Of Technology At Delhi is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,772, while out-of-state students pay about $12,762. Students borrow a median of $20,303 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Suny College Of Technology At Delhi generally make around $20,213. That is a strong return on a $20,303 median debt. Suny College Of Technology At Delhi admits about 89% of applicants.
Culinary Institute Of America ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Culinary Institute Of America is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hyde Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,670. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Culinary Institute Of America generally make around $35,929. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
