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2026 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in Virginia

[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value culinary arts/chef training schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in Virginia

2026 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in Virginia

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

1

Columbia College Fairfax
Vienna, VA

$4,665 Avg Student Debt

$22,160 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Columbia College Fairfax, our #1 best value for culinary arts/chef training in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Vienna, Columbia College Fairfax is a small private for-profit university. Typical student debt for culinary arts/chef training graduates is $4,665. Soon after graduation, culinary arts/chef training degree recipients from Columbia College Fairfax generally make around $18,780. That is a strong return on a $4,665 median debt.

2

Ecpi University
Virginia Beach, VA

$18,484 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,744 Avg Student Debt

$42,837 Median Earnings (10yr)

Ecpi University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts/chef training, landing the #2 spot this year. Ecpi University is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,484. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $13,744 in student loans. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Ecpi University earn a median of $21,480 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ecpi University admits about 74% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.