2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in the New England Region

[Culinary Arts/Chef Training](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/culinary-arts-chef-training/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong culinary arts/chef training education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts/chef training students.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in culinary arts/chef training, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools
For return on investment in culinary arts/chef training, no school beat Holyoke Community College this year. Located in the rural area of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,988 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,932 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $9,763 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $43,423. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Bunker Hill Community College one of the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Bunker Hill Community College is a large public school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,168, while out-of-state students pay about $11,112. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $11,893. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $51,782. Set against $11,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts/chef training will find it at Massasoit Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Brockton, Massasoit Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,376, with out-of-state students paying around $10,320. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $10,894. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $42,938. Set against $10,894 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Eastern Maine Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts/chef training schools. Eastern Maine Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Bangor. Students from in state pay about $4,156 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,036. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $17,741. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Eastern Maine Community College earn a median of $52,263 early in their careers. Set against $17,741 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Maine Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts/chef training, landing the #5 spot this year. Southern Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of South Portland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,156, compared with $7,036 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $13,869. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $41,328. That is a strong return on a $13,869 median debt.
Berkshire Community College came in at #6 for value in culinary arts/chef training this year. Berkshire Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Pittsfield. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,712, with out-of-state students paying around $11,328. Students borrow a median of $16,167 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $45,806. That is a strong return on a $16,167 median debt.
Capital Community College came in at #7 for value in culinary arts/chef training this year. Set in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,338, with out-of-state students paying around $15,596. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $12,059. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $43,086. Set against $12,059 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Lakes Region Community College landed the #8 spot for culinary arts/chef training value this year. Set in the town of Laconia, Lakes Region Community College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,720, compared with $14,970 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,182 ten years after entry.
Johnson And Wales University Providence placed #9 among the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Set in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,982. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $20,873 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $30,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 9 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.