2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in the New England Region
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts students.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in culinary arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools
Holyoke Community College tops our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts schools in the New England Region. Located in the rural area of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,988, with out-of-state students paying around $10,932. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $9,763 in student loans. Culinary Arts graduates of Holyoke Community College earn a median of $43,423 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Bunker Hill Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Boston, Bunker Hill Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,168, compared with $11,112 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $11,893 in student loans. Culinary Arts graduates of Bunker Hill Community College earn a median of $51,782 early in their careers. Set against $11,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Massasoit Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Set in the suburb of Brockton, Massasoit Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,376, compared with $10,320 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,894 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Massasoit Community College earn a median of $42,938 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,894 median debt.
Southeastern Technical Institute is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of South Easton, Southeastern Technical Institute is a small public institution. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $10,000. Culinary Arts graduates of Southeastern Technical Institute earn a median of $49,476 early in their careers. Southeastern Technical Institute admits about 71% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Eastern Maine Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Bangor, Eastern Maine Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,156, while out-of-state students pay about $7,036. Students borrow a median of $17,741 to complete the culinary arts program here. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Eastern Maine Community College generally make around $52,263. Set against $17,741 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Maine Community College came in at #6 for value in culinary arts this year. Set in the city of South Portland, Southern Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,156, compared with $7,036 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,869 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Southern Maine Community College earn a median of $41,328 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,869 median debt.
Capital Community College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Set in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,338, compared with $15,596 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $12,059. Culinary Arts graduates of Capital Community College earn a median of $43,086 early in their careers. Set against $12,059 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Berkshire Community College landed the #8 spot for culinary arts value this year. Located in the rural area of Pittsfield, Berkshire Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,712 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,328 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $16,167. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $45,806. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lakes Region Community College came in at #9 for value in culinary arts this year. Lakes Region Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Laconia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,720, with out-of-state students paying around $14,970. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,182 ten years after entry.
Johnson And Wales University Online ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Online is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,365. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $14,745. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $27,514. That is a strong return on a $14,745 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Boston University placed #11 among the best values for culinary arts. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,102. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Culinary Arts graduates of Boston University earn a median of $63,598 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
Johnson And Wales University Providence earned the #12 position for value in culinary arts this year. Located in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $41,982. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $20,873 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $30,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Johnson And Wales University Providence admits about 88% of applicants.
Lincoln Technical Institute Shelton came in at #13 for value in culinary arts this year. Set in the city of Shelton, Lincoln Technical Institute Shelton is a small private for-profit institution. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $12,934. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Lincoln Technical Institute Shelton generally make around $24,128. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
