[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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes 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.
Pikes Peak Community College earned the #1 spot for value among general cooking & related culinary arts schools in Colorado. Located in the suburb of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,510, with out-of-state students paying around $17,110. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $16,066. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Pikes Peak Community College earn a median of $41,037 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Pickens Technical College one of the best values for general cooking & related culinary arts. Located in the city of Aurora, Pickens Technical College is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,140 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,250 for out-of-state students. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $10,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Pickens Technical College generally make around $35,622. That is a strong return on a $10,250 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Pueblo Community College one of the best values for general cooking & related culinary arts. Pueblo Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Pueblo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,049, compared with $17,649 for out-of-state students. 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. That is a strong return on a $14,106 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder one of the best values for general cooking & related culinary arts. Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Boulder. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $14,198. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder earn a median of $27,953 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Mesa State College one of the best values for general cooking & related culinary arts. Set in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $22,310. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Mesa State College generally make around $43,617. Set against $22,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
