by our College Data Analytics Team
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying culinary arts schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose culinary arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Brookdale Community College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,261.
Atlantic Cape Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in culinary arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Mays Landing, Atlantic Cape Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $31,639.
Students chasing top earnings in culinary arts will find them at Hudson County Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Jersey City, Hudson County Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Hudson County Community College typically earn about $35,726 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Ocean County Vocational Technical School earned it the #4 place for culinary arts. Set in the suburb of Toms River, Ocean County Vocational Technical School is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Ocean County Vocational Technical School typically earn about $16,566 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their culinary arts graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 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.