2027 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in Texas

[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 12 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 Texas
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 El Centro College, our #1 best value for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef in Texas. Set in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,730 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,900. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $9,218. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of El Centro College earn a median of $31,127 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
South Texas College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. South Texas College is a very large public school located in the city of McAllen. In-state tuition and fees average $4,920, while out-of-state students pay about $7,620. Students borrow a median of $6,868 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from South Texas College generally make around $24,084. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes El Paso Community College one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. El Paso Community College is a very large public school located in the city of El Paso. Students from in state pay about $3,274 in tuition and fees, compared with $5,314 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $8,542. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $29,086. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Del Mar College earned it the #4 place for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the city of Corpus Christi, Del Mar College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,500, while out-of-state students pay about $6,050. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $7,476 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Del Mar College generally make around $40,661. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Philips College earned it the #5 place for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the city of San Antonio, St Philips College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,412 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,952 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $15,653 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $45,185. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Houston Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the city of Houston, Houston Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,040, compared with $5,460 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $26,217. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Houston Community College generally make around $26,419. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Odessa College landed the #7 spot for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef value this year. Located in the city of Odessa, Odessa College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,688 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $4,926. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $9,087. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $47,856. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Austin Community College District placed #8 among the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,550 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,590. Students borrow a median of $14,519 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Austin Community College District generally make around $44,895. Set against $14,519 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Collin County Community College District placed #9 among the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,014 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,064 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $9,716 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Collin County Community College District generally make around $42,177. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
San Jacinto Community College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. San Jacinto Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Pasadena. In-state tuition and fees average $2,490, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,376 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of San Jacinto Community College earn a median of $38,107 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Austin earned the #11 position for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Located in the city of Austin, Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Austin is a small private for-profit university. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $16,491. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Austin generally make around $25,743. That is a strong return on a $16,491 median debt.
Culinary Institute Inc came in at #12 for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Culinary Institute Inc is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Students from in state pay about $18,803 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $20,144. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Culinary Institute Inc earn a median of $24,664 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.