2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in New Jersey
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong culinary arts education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value culinary arts schools.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in culinary arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools
For return on investment in culinary arts, no school beat Middlesex County College this year. Set in the suburb of Edison, Middlesex County College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,764, while out-of-state students pay about $7,356. Students borrow a median of $9,514 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Middlesex County College earn a median of $37,975 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mercer County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of West Windsor, Mercer County Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,310 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,174 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,250 to complete the culinary arts program here. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $45,389. Set against $12,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hudson County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Hudson County Community College is a large public school located in the city of Jersey City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,384, with out-of-state students paying around $9,248. Students borrow a median of $12,900 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Hudson County Community College earn a median of $26,170 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Passaic County Community College earned it the #4 place for culinary arts. Located in the suburb of Paterson, Passaic County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,300 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,560. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $9,581. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $28,957. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Atlantic Cape Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Atlantic Cape Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mays Landing. In-state tuition and fees average $5,594, while out-of-state students pay about $8,350. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Atlantic Cape Community College earn a median of $31,639 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
Brookdale Community College landed the #6 spot for culinary arts value this year. Located in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,270, while out-of-state students pay about $10,140. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $12,651. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $37,374. That is a strong return on a $12,651 median debt.
Ocean County Vocational Technical School placed #7 among the best values for culinary arts. Set in the suburb of Toms River, Ocean County Vocational Technical School is a small public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $16,566.
More Culinary Arts Rankings
View All Culinary Arts Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
