[General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/cooking-and-related-culinary-arts-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general cooking & related culinary arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for general cooking & related culinary arts students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general cooking & related culinary arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Pikes Peak Community College, our #1 best value for general cooking & related culinary arts in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the suburb of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,510, with out-of-state students paying around $17,110. Students borrow a median of $16,066 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Pikes Peak Community College generally make around $41,037. Set against $16,066 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Utah Valley University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools. Located in the city of Orem, Utah Valley University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,507, while out-of-state students pay about $18,489. Students borrow a median of $16,478 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of $27,056 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,478 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Pickens Technical College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Aurora, Pickens Technical College is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,140, compared with $9,250 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $10,250. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $35,622. That is a strong return on a $10,250 median debt.
Pueblo Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general cooking & related culinary arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Pueblo, Pueblo Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,049, while out-of-state students pay about $17,649. Students borrow a median of $14,106 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Pueblo Community College earn a median of $42,377 early in their careers. Set against $14,106 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Boulder, Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder is a large private for-profit institution. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $14,198 in student loans. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $27,953. Set against $14,198 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mesa State College came in at #6 for value in general cooking & related culinary arts this year. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. In-state tuition and fees average $9,927, with out-of-state students paying around $25,124. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $43,617 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
