2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Iowa
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Iowa
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
For return on investment in culinary arts, no school beat Western Iowa Tech Community College this year. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,186, compared with $5,330 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $12,530 in student loans. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Western Iowa Tech Community College generally make around $24,061. That is a strong return on a $12,530 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kirkwood Community College earned it the #2 place for culinary arts. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,176, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $15,375. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College generally make around $21,391. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Des Moines Area Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Students borrow a median of $11,167 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $26,913 early in their careers. Set against $11,167 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Eastern Iowa Community College District is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Davenport. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,848, while out-of-state students pay about $6,456. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $15,995 in student loans. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $41,510. Set against $15,995 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Iowa Western Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in culinary arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Iowa Western Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Council Bluffs. Students from in state pay about $6,930 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,080 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for culinary arts graduates is $15,153. Culinary Arts graduates of Iowa Western Community College earn a median of $43,444 early in their careers. Set against $15,153 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
More Culinary Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
