2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Kentucky
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong culinary arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts students.
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2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Kentucky
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the culinary arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools
Our analysis ranked Southcentral Kentucky Community And Technical College the best value for a degree in culinary arts in Kentucky. Located in the city of Bowling Green, Southcentral Kentucky Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $12,068. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Southcentral Kentucky Community And Technical College generally make around $42,892. Set against $12,068 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Somerset Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Somerset, Somerset Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $13,722 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $35,340. Set against $13,722 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Elizabethtown Community And Technical College, which ranked #3. Elizabethtown Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Elizabethtown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $12,245. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Elizabethtown Community And Technical College generally make around $45,486. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Ashland Community And Technical College, which ranked #4. Ashland Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Ashland. Students from in state pay about $4,728 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Students borrow a median of $13,485 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Ashland Community And Technical College earn a median of $37,826 early in their careers. Set against $13,485 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes Jefferson Community And Technical College one of the best values for culinary arts. Set in the city of Louisville, Jefferson Community And Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,808, while out-of-state students pay about $6,512. Students borrow a median of $13,917 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Jefferson Community And Technical College earn a median of $44,346 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,917 median debt.
Sullivan University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Located in the city of Louisville, Sullivan University is a mid-sized private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,480. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $15,265 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $24,292. Set against $15,265 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
More Culinary Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
