by our College Data Analytics Team
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 27 schools on the early-career earnings of their culinary arts graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose culinary arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Saint Augustine College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools in the Great Lakes Region. Saint Augustine College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Saint Augustine College typically earn about $43,384 annually.
Richland Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in culinary arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Decatur, Richland Community College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Richland Community College earn a median of about $39,371 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Hocking College earned it the #3 place for culinary arts. Hocking College is a public school located in the rural area of Nelsonville. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,137.
Strong graduate earnings at Fox Valley Technical College earned it the #4 place for culinary arts. Fox Valley Technical College is a public school located in the suburb of Appleton. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,883.
Cincinnati State Technical And Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Cincinnati State Technical And Community College make a median of around $38,302 per year.
Elgin Community College landed the #6 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,918.
Cuyahoga Community College District placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Cuyahoga Community College District is a public school located in the city of Cleveland. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,888.
Blackhawk Technical College came in at #8 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Janesville, Blackhawk Technical College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $33,982.
Vincennes University came in at #9 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Vincennes University is a public school located in the town of Vincennes. Culinary Arts graduates of Vincennes University earn a median of about $32,217 a year early in their careers.
National Louis University placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. National Louis University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Culinary Arts graduates of National Louis University earn a median of about $42,444 a year early in their careers.
Grand Rapids Community College landed the #11 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Grand Rapids Community College is a public school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,557.
Ivy Tech Community College earned the #12 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $26,859.
Northwestern Michigan College placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Set in the city of Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $38,650.
Southwestern Illinois College came in at #14 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Southwestern Illinois College typically earn about $30,675 annually.
Schoolcraft College earned the #15 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Schoolcraft College earn a median of about $35,743 a year early in their careers.
Sinclair Community College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of about $34,535 a year early in their careers.
Baker College Of Flint ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Baker College Of Flint is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Owosso. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $37,278.
Henry Ford Community College ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $24,389.
Joliet Junior College came in at #19 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Joliet Junior College earn a median of about $28,252 a year early in their careers.
Milwaukee Area Technical College placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Milwaukee Area Technical College typically earn about $32,428 annually.
Michigan Career And Technical Institute ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Located in the rural area of Plainwell, Michigan Career And Technical Institute is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Michigan Career And Technical Institute make a median of around $25,371 per year.
College Of Dupage came in at #22 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from College Of Dupage typically earn about $26,952 annually.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College earned the #23 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Kalamazoo Valley Community College typically earn about $26,843 annually.
Ferris State University came in at #24 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Ferris State University typically earn about $26,692 annually.
Macomb Community College came in at #25 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Macomb Community College earn a median of about $26,273 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send culinary arts graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries culinary arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 27 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.