[General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/cooking-and-related-culinary-arts-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general cooking & related culinary arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in general cooking & related culinary arts, no school beat Cuny Kingsborough Community College this year. Cuny Kingsborough Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Brooklyn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,252, with out-of-state students paying around $8,132. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $7,858 in student loans. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $35,562. Set against $7,858 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Nassau Community College one of the best values for general cooking & related culinary arts. Nassau Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Garden City. In-state tuition and fees average $6,330, compared with $12,130 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,850 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $38,734. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Hudson County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general cooking & related culinary arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Jersey City, Hudson County Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,384, with out-of-state students paying around $9,248. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $12,900 in student loans. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts 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 general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Erie Community College, which ranked #4. Erie Community College is a large public school located in the city of Buffalo. In-state tuition and fees average $6,100, with out-of-state students paying around $11,300. Students borrow a median of $6,439 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Erie Community College earn a median of $37,069 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Monroe Community College earned it the #5 place for general cooking & related culinary arts. Monroe Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $6,006, while out-of-state students pay about $11,056. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $12,921 in student loans. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Monroe Community College earn a median of $38,757 early in their careers. Set against $12,921 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Delaware Technical Community College Terry earned the #6 position for value in general cooking & related culinary arts this year. Delaware Technical Community College Terry is a large public school located in the city of Dover. In-state tuition and fees average $2,332, compared with $5,763 for out-of-state students. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $11,154 in student loans. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $43,322. Set against $11,154 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Suny College Of Technology At Delhi ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools. Set in the rural area of Delhi, Suny College Of Technology At Delhi is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,772 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,762. Students borrow a median of $20,303 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Suny College Of Technology At Delhi earn a median of $20,213 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny College Of Technology At Delhi admits about 89% of applicants.
Pennsylvania College Of Technology ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania College Of Technology is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,940, while out-of-state students pay about $25,680. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $16,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Pennsylvania College Of Technology generally make around $25,269. Set against $16,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Lincoln College Of Technology Columbia ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools. Lincoln College Of Technology Columbia is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Columbia. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $12,934 in student loans. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $24,128. Set against $12,934 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Narrow General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts Schools by State
More General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts Rankings
View All General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
