2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in Iowa
[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.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value culinary arts/chef training schools.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools in Iowa
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 Western Iowa Tech Community College the best value for a degree in culinary arts/chef training in Iowa. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City. Students from in state pay about $5,186 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,330. Students borrow a median of $12,530 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $24,061. Set against $12,530 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Kirkwood Community College one of the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,176, compared with $8,220 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $15,375 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts/chef training graduates make about $21,391. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Des Moines Area Community College earned it the #3 place for culinary arts/chef training. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Students borrow a median of $11,167 to complete the culinary arts/chef training program here. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $26,913 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,167 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern Iowa Community College District one of the best values for culinary arts/chef training. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Davenport. In-state tuition and fees average $4,848, with out-of-state students paying around $6,456. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $15,995 in student loans. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Eastern Iowa Community College District earn a median of $41,510 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,995 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa Western Community College earned it the #5 place for culinary arts/chef training. Set in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,930, compared with $7,080 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates carry a median of $15,153 in student loans. Culinary Arts/chef Training graduates of Iowa Western Community College earn a median of $43,444 early in their careers. Set against $15,153 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
