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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

39 Ranked Colleges
814 Degrees Awarded
$5,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,698 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,767 and $19,400 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 814 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,508 and $17,812 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 39 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Moraine Valley Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Palos Hills, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

MVCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $340 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Moraine Valley Community College.

Full MVCC Culinary Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cincinnati State is a medium-sized school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 49 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cincinnati State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cincinnati State is $3,756 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Cincinnati State

#3

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ECC is a public institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ECC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $2,384 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elgin Community College.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Elgin Community College

#4

Madison Area Technical College

Madison, Wisconsin

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Madison Area Technical College landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison Area Technical College is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

Madison College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Madison Area Technical College is $7,258 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Madison College

#5

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oakland Community College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $-51 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland Community College. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Full Oakland Community College Culinary Arts Report

#6

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois

Joliet Junior College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Joliet Junior College is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Joliet Junior College, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Joliet Junior College.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Joliet Junior College

#7

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

College of Lake County did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Grayslake, Illinois, and it awarded 20 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at College of Lake County, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for College of Lake County is $3,742 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at College of Lake County

Cuyahoga Community College District ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cuyahoga Community College District, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $3,635 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District

#9

Washtenaw Community College

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Washtenaw Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $266 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washtenaw Community College.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Washtenaw Community College

#10

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, Michigan

Henry Ford College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Henry Ford College is $2,460 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Henry Ford College Culinary Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, and it awarded 6 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Southwest Tech also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $8,167 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southwest Wisconsin Technical College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

#12

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. MATC is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 29 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

MATC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College is $7,340 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at MATC

#13

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Waukesha County Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Waukesha County Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 21 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WCTC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,830 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Waukesha County Technical College.

Full WCTC Culinary Arts Report

#14

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Southwestern Illinois College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Belleville, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

SWIC also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $5,506 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Southwestern Illinois College

#15

Richland Community College

Decatur, Illinois

Richland Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 13 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Richland Community College is $4,116 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Richland Community College

#16

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Grand Rapids Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Grand Rapids Community College is a fairly large school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 22 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand Rapids Community College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Rapids Community College is $6,668 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Grand Rapids Community College

Sinclair Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sinclair Community College is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,567 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Sinclair Community College

#18

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Gateway Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,933 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gateway Technical College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Gateway Technical College

#19

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois

Triton College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. River Grove, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,546 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Triton College.

Full Triton College Culinary Arts Report

#20

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Schoolcraft College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Schoolcraft College is a medium-sized public school situated in Livonia, Michigan. It awarded 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Schoolcraft College also took the #21 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Schoolcraft College is $6,908 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Schoolcraft College

#21

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

Chippewa Valley Technical College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chippewa Valley Technical College is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

CVTC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College is $8,764 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Chippewa Valley Technical College Culinary Arts Report

#22

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Northwestern Michigan College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern Michigan College is a public institution located in Traverse City, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NMC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NMC is $8,776 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at NMC

#23

Blackhawk Technical College

Janesville, Wisconsin

Blackhawk Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Blackhawk Technical College is a small school located in Janesville, Wisconsin that handed out 3 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BTC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Blackhawk Technical College is $7,759 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Blackhawk Technical College

#24

Western Technical College

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Western Technical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Western Technical College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $7,382 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Western Technical College

With a ranking of #25, City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kennedy-King College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,297 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kennedy-King College.

Full City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College Culinary Arts Report

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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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