2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Culinary Arts is the 80th most popular major in the country with 21,906 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Southwest region, there were 2,671 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,641 and $21,214 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 998 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,605 and $16,886 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in culinary arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great culinary arts programs and 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.
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More Ways to Rank Culinary Arts Schools
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 Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend El Centro College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 36 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, El Centro College has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $4,228 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Community College District. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Austin Community College District also took the #4 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $4,362 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, this small public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.
OSU Institute of Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is $4,299 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Culinary Arts at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Central New Mexico Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 27 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
CNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central New Mexico Community College is $3,626 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grayson College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Grayson College is a public institution located in Denison, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Grayson College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grayson College is $7,336 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Houston Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Houston Community College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Houston Community College is $5,351 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Houston Community College
Lee College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lee College is located in Baytown, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lee College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lee College is $6,555 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
El Paso Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. El Paso Community College is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 40 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
El Paso Community College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $4,609 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend El Paso Community College.
St Philip’s College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.
St Philip’s College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St Philip’s College is $6,522 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
South Plains College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Levelland, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.
South Plains College also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for South Plains College is $7,419 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #11, Collin County Community College District did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Collin County Community College District is a large school located in McKinney, Texas that handed out 9 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Collin County Community College District did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,536 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Collin County Community College District.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Collin County Community College District
Tarrant County College District came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.
Tarrant County College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tarrant County College is $5,742 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Pima Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pima Community College is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pima County Community College District, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pima County Community College District is $3,417 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #14, Del Mar College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Corpus Christi, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
DMC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,957 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DMC.
With a ranking of #15, San Jacinto Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jacinto Community College is located in Pasadena, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jacinto College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,502 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jacinto Community College.
Texas State Technical College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TSTC is located in Waco, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
TSTC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State Technical College is $9,067 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Odessa College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Odessa College is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
Odessa College also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Odessa College is $6,129 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
New Mexico State University - Dona Ana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. New Mexico State University - Dona Ana is a medium-sized public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 11 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
NMSU Dona Ana also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $5,658 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NMSU Dona Ana.
Full New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Culinary Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, Texarkana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texarkana College is a small school located in Texarkana, Texas that handed out 10 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Texarkana College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $6,059 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texarkana College.
With a ranking of #20, Northeast Texas Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeast Texas Community College is a small school located in Mount Pleasant, Texas that handed out 6 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NTCC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NTCC is $7,441 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Mohave Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Kingman, Arizona, and it awarded 1 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
MCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mohave Community College is $9,338 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Estrella Mountain Community College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Avondale, Arizona, this medium-sized public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Estrella Mountain Community College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,740 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Estrella Mountain Community College.
Read more about Culinary Arts at Estrella Mountain Community College
Scottsdale Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Scottsdale Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 28 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Scottsdale Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Scottsdale Community College is $10,103 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Scottsdale Community College
The Art Institute of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. The Art Institute of Houston is a small private for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 44 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Ai Houston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The Art Institute of Houston is $21,747 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of Houston
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin is a small private for-profit school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 233 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Escoffier - Austin has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin is $14,408 for southwest region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin
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Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
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Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
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Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
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Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts in the Southwest Region
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Most Popular Associate Degree Online Culinary Arts Schools
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Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Culinary Arts students with family income less than $30k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Culinary Arts students with family income $48-$75k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Southwest Region
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Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
Culinary Arts students with family income $30-$48k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region
Culinary Arts students with family income $75-$110k in the Southwest Region
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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to U.S. Army Europe Images.
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