by our College Data Analytics Team
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for culinary arts students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the culinary arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Ivy Tech Community College, our #1 best value for culinary arts in Indiana. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,154, compared with $9,935 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $11,889. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $40,734. That is a strong return on a $11,889 median debt.
Vincennes University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Located in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,126, compared with $16,858 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,506 to complete the culinary arts program here. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $45,976. Set against $14,506 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.