2027 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in the The Plains States Region
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in the The Plains States Region
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
Metropolitan Community College Area tops our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools in the The Plains States Region. Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public school located in the city of Omaha. In-state tuition and fees average $3,375, compared with $4,950 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $12,799 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Metropolitan Community College Area earn a median of $45,583 early in their careers. Set against $12,799 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Saint Louis Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef, landing the #2 spot this year. Saint Louis Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Bridgeton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,660, with out-of-state students paying around $6,990. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,424 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Saint Louis Community College generally make around $26,318. Set against $11,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southeast Community College Area came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Located in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,444 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $4,032. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $19,146 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Southeast Community College Area generally make around $31,590. Set against $19,146 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kirkwood Community College earned it the #4 place for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,176, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $15,375. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $41,681. That is a strong return on a $15,375 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Hennepin Technical College one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Hennepin Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,940. Students borrow a median of $17,887 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $52,059. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College landed the #6 spot for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef value this year. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,326 in tuition and fees. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College earn a median of $32,478 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Johnson County Community College placed #7 among the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Johnson County Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Overland Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,424, with out-of-state students paying around $5,688. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $13,532 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Johnson County Community College earn a median of $38,977 early in their careers. Set against $13,532 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Kansas City Kansas Community College landed the #8 spot for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef value this year. Located in the city of Kansas City, Kansas City Kansas Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $2,996 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,482 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $13,129 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Kansas City Kansas Community College earn a median of $43,216 early in their careers. Set against $13,129 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
