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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $0-$30k)

223 Ranked Colleges
7,304 Degrees Awarded
$3,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 21,906 people earned their degree in culinary arts, making the major the 80th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, culinary arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $23,822 and had an average of $19,004 in loans still to pay off.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 7,304 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 223 colleges that offer a degree in culinary arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent culinary arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the culinary arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Culinary Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Nassau Community College

Garden City, New York

Out of the 223 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Nassau Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Nassau Community College is a fairly large school located in Garden City, New York that handed out 15 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Nassau Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Nassau Community College is $2,007 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Nassau Community College Culinary Arts Report

Out of the 223 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State College at Jacksonville landed the #2 spot on the list. FSCJ is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

FSCJ also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville is $2,126 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Florida State College at Jacksonville Culinary Arts Report

#3

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Moraine Valley Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k. MVCC is located in Palos Hills, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Moraine Valley Community College is $340 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MVCC Culinary Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Niagara County Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k. Niagara County Community College is a public institution located in Sanborn, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 82 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Niagara County Community College also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Niagara County Community College is $2,636 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Niagara County Community College

#5

Valencia College

Orlando, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Valencia College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k. Valencia College is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 102 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Valencia College also took the #3 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $4,870 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Valencia College

#6

Kapiolani Community College

Honolulu, Hawaii

Kapiolani Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kapiolani Community College is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

Kapiolani CC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Kapiolani Community College is $5,294 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Kapiolani CC

South Georgia Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Georgia Technical College is a small public school situated in Americus, Georgia. It awarded 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend South Georgia Technical College is $-1,377 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Full South Georgia Technical College Culinary Arts Report

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cincinnati State is a medium-sized public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 49 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cincinnati State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is $3,756 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cincinnati State Culinary Arts Report

#9

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

Elgin Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elgin Community College is a medium-sized school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 18 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, ECC is in the top on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ECC is $2,384 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at ECC

#10

Madison Area Technical College

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison Area Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison College is a fairly large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 15 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Madison College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Madison College is $7,258 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Madison College Culinary Arts Report

#11

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Oakland Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland Community College is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $-51 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland Community College. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Full Oakland Community College Culinary Arts Report

#12

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois

Joliet Junior College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

Joliet Junior College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Joliet Junior College is $4,699 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Joliet Junior College Culinary Arts Report

SUNY Schenectady County Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Schenectady, New York, and it awarded 46 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, SUNY Schenectady also did well on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Schenectady County Community College is $3,703 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at SUNY Schenectady County Community College

Suffolk County Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Suffolk County Community College is a public institution located in Selden, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Suffolk County Community College is $2,632 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Suffolk County Community College

With a ranking of #15, Metropolitan Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. MCC is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MCC excels when it comes to culinary arts quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan Community College is $2,894 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MCC Culinary Arts Report

Austin Community College District landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $3,134 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Austin Community College District

#17

Athens Technical College

Athens, Georgia
Top 15% in overall quality

Athens Technical College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this small public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

Athens Technical College excels when it comes to culinary arts quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,492 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Athens Technical College.

Full Athens Technical College Culinary Arts Report

#18

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

College of Lake County landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of Lake County is a fairly large school located in Grayslake, Illinois that handed out 20 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

College of Lake County excels when it comes to culinary arts quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend College of Lake County is $3,742 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at College of Lake County

#19

El Centro College

Dallas, Texas

El Centro College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. El Centro College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

El Centro College excels when it comes to culinary arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $3,454 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full El Centro College Culinary Arts Report

#20

Atlanta Technical College

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Technical College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Atlanta Area Tech is a small public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 14 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $-757 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Atlanta Area Tech. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Atlanta Technical College

#21

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami Dade College is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

MDC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend MDC is $4,471 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Miami Dade College Culinary Arts Report

With a ranking of #22, Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cuyahoga Community College District is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $3,635 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District

#23

Grayson College

Denison, Texas

Grayson College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denison, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Grayson College is $6,639 for associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Grayson College

#24

Ogeechee Technical College

Statesboro, Georgia

Ogeechee Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Ogeechee Technical College is a public institution located in Statesboro, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $-196 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ogeechee Technical College. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Ogeechee Technical College

#25

NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Bentonville, Arkansas

NorthWest Arkansas Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bentonville, Arkansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NorthWest Arkansas Community College is $4,764 for Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NWACC Culinary Arts Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Central New Mexico Community College

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#27

Orange Coast College

Costa Mesa, California
#29

Erie Community College

Buffalo, New York
#30

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, North Carolina
#31

Leeward Community College

Pearl City, Hawaii
#33

Houston Community College

Houston, Texas
#34

Manchester Community College

Manchester, Connecticut

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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