2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in New Mexico

[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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for culinary arts/chef training students.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in New Mexico
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
Our analysis ranked Central New Mexico Community College the best value for a degree in culinary arts/chef training in New Mexico. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,060, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Students borrow a median of $10,112 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $23,139. Set against $10,112 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes New Mexico State University Dona Ana one of the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Located in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Dona Ana is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $2,322 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,360. Students borrow a median of $10,284 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Soon after graduation, culinary arts/chef training degree recipients from New Mexico State University Dona Ana generally make around $39,399. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 2 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.