2027 Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools in the Southeast Region

[Institutional Food Workers](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/institutional-food-workers/) 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 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for institutional food workers students.
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2027 Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in institutional food workers, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools
Trident Technical College tops our 2027 list of the best value institutional food workers schools in the Southeast Region. Located in the city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,546, while out-of-state students pay about $8,620. Typical student debt for institutional food workers graduates is $15,000. Institutional Food Workers 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 Columbus Technical College one of the best values for institutional food workers. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,052 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,262 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for institutional food workers graduates is $15,845. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Columbus Technical College generally make around $37,936. Set against $15,845 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Horry Georgetown Technical College earned it the #3 place for institutional food workers. Located in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,518, compared with $10,978 for out-of-state students. Institutional Food Workers graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Horry Georgetown Technical College generally make around $24,466. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Pierpont Community And Technical College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value institutional food workers schools. Located in the town of Fairmont, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,762, with out-of-state students paying around $13,660. Typical student debt for institutional food workers graduates is $16,268. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Pierpont Community And Technical College generally make around $26,399. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in institutional food workers will find it at Carteret Community College, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Morehead City, Carteret Community College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,310, with out-of-state students paying around $8,222. Students borrow a median of $5,566 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Early-career institutional food workers graduates make about $48,953. Set against $5,566 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Greenville Technical College came in at #6 for value in institutional food workers this year. Located in the city of Greenville, Greenville Technical College is a large public university. 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 institutional food workers program here. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Greenville Technical College generally make around $26,268. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Ecpi University earned the #7 position for value in institutional food workers this year. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Ecpi University is a large private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,484. Typical student debt for institutional food workers graduates is $13,744. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Ecpi University generally make around $21,480. That is a strong return on a $13,744 median debt. Roughly 74% 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.