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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
294 Degrees Awarded
$6,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Illinois, there were 1,160 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,336 and $20,786 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 294 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,469 and $14,548 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 12 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the culinary arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Moraine Valley Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Moraine Valley Community College 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.

MVCC also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for MVCC is $1,513 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Moraine Valley Community College

#2

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Elgin, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

ECC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elgin Community College is $3,717 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Elgin Community College

#3

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Joliet Junior College landed the #3 spot on the list. 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.

Joliet Junior College also took the #2 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Joliet Junior College is $4,134 for illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Joliet Junior College

#4

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of Lake County. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Grayslake, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

College of Lake County did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend College of Lake County is $4,136 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at College of Lake County

#5

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern Illinois College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Belleville, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

SWIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $6,762 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southwestern Illinois College Culinary Arts Report

With a ranking of #6, City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kennedy-King College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kennedy-King College, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,764 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College.

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

#7

Richland Community College

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Richland Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Richland Community College is a public institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Richland Community College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $3,900 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Richland Community College.

Full Richland Community College Culinary Arts Report

#8

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Triton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Grove, Illinois, and it awarded 14 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Triton College, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Triton College is $4,579 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Triton College

#9

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, Illinois

McHenry County College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. McHenry County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It awarded 9 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

MCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend McHenry County College is $6,143 for illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at McHenry County College

#10

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, NLU has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,403 for illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NLU.

Read more about Culinary Arts at NLU

#11

Rend Lake College

Ina, Illinois

Rend Lake College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rend Lake College is a small public school situated in Ina, Illinois. It awarded 4 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Rend Lake College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,283 for Illinois Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rend Lake College.

Full Rend Lake College Culinary Arts Report

#12

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

St. Augustine College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Augustine College is $12,491 for illinois associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Saint Augustine College

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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