2026 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in South Carolina
[Culinary Arts/Chef Training](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/culinary-arts-chef-training/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong culinary arts/chef training education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts/chef training students.
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2026 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in South Carolina
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
Leading the list is Trident Technical College, our #1 best value for culinary arts/chef training in South Carolina. Located in the city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,546 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,620 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Trident Technical College earn a median of $50,166 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Horry Georgetown Technical College one of the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Set in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,518, compared with $10,978 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Soon after graduation, culinary arts/chef training degree recipients from Horry Georgetown Technical College generally make around $24,466. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Greenville Technical College earned it the #3 place for culinary arts/chef training. Set in the city of Greenville, Greenville Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,495, while out-of-state students pay about $10,775. Students borrow a median of $19,434 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $26,268. That is a strong return on a $19,434 median debt.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
