2027 Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology Schools
[Culinary Science/Culinology](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/culinary-science-culinology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for culinary science/culinology students.
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Finding the Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology School for You
The right culinary science/culinology school can pay off for years to come. That is why we built our Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
Read more about our methodology
Customize Your Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology Schools list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in culinary science/culinology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Culinary Science/Culinology Schools
Leading the list is Niagara County Community College, our #1 best value for culinary science/culinology in the United States. Niagara County Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Sanborn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,894, compared with $12,030 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary science/culinology graduates is $12,000. Culinary Science/culinology graduates of Niagara County Community College earn a median of $36,258 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ivy Tech Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary science/culinology schools. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,154, while out-of-state students pay about $9,935. Students borrow a median of $11,889 to complete the culinary science/culinology program here. Soon after graduation, culinary science/culinology degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College generally make around $40,734. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Erie Community College one of the best values for culinary science/culinology. Set in the city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,100 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,300 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary science/culinology graduates is $6,439. Soon after graduation, culinary science/culinology degree recipients from Erie Community College generally make around $37,069. That is a strong return on a $6,439 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johnson And Wales University Charlotte earned it the #4 place for culinary science/culinology. Set in the city of Charlotte, Johnson And Wales University Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,982. Culinary Science/culinology graduates carry a median of $20,873 in student loans. Early-career culinary science/culinology graduates make about $30,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Johnson And Wales University Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
Johnson And Wales University Providence came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary science/culinology schools. Located in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,982. Students borrow a median of $20,873 to complete the culinary science/culinology program here. Soon after graduation, culinary science/culinology degree recipients from Johnson And Wales University Providence generally make around $30,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Culinary Institute Of America placed #6 among the best values for culinary science/culinology. Located in the suburb of Hyde Park, Culinary Institute Of America is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $38,670. Typical student debt for culinary science/culinology graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, culinary science/culinology degree recipients from Culinary Institute Of America generally make around $35,929. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
