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2022 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

8 Ranked Colleges
190 Degrees Awarded
$6,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 10,007 people earned their degree in culinary arts/chef training, making the major the 135th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 809 culinary arts/chef training graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 190 culinary arts/chef training graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,469 and $14,548 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 8 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in culinary arts/chef training. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent culinary arts/chef training programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the culinary arts/chef training program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The culinary arts/chef training school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 8 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Elgin, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

ECC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for ECC is $2,384 for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Elgin Community College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

#2

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Joliet Junior College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts/chef training students in 2019-2020.

Joliet Junior College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $4,699 for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Joliet Junior College.

Full Joliet Junior College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

#3

Richland Community College

Decatur, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Richland Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts/chef training students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k list, Richland Community College has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Richland Community College is $4,116 for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Richland Community College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

#4

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Triton College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Grove, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k list, Triton College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $4,546 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts/Chef Training students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Triton College.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Triton College

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts/chef training students in 2019-2020.

Kennedy-King College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College is $5,297 for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Kennedy-King College

#6

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

National Louis University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 45 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,178 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts/Chef Training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at National Louis University

#7

Rend Lake College

Ina, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Rend Lake College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Ina, Illinois, and it awarded 4 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2019-2020.

Rend Lake College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Rend Lake College is $4,905 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts/Chef Training students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Rend Lake College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

#8

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Saint Augustine College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. St. Augustine College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Augustine College also took the #4 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,691 for illinois associate degree culinary arts/chef training students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Augustine College.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Saint Augustine College

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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