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. The highest-paying schools turn a culinary arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 45 schools on the early-career earnings of their culinary arts graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send culinary arts graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in culinary arts, no school beat Atlanta Technical College this year. Set in the city of Atlanta, Atlanta Technical College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Atlanta Technical College earn a median of about $40,302 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes Gwinnett Technical College one of the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Technical College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Gwinnett Technical College earn a median of about $36,839 a year early in their careers.
Wake Technical Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Wake Technical Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Raleigh. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $36,316.
Students chasing top earnings in culinary arts will find them at Indian River State College, which ranked #4. Indian River State College is a public school located in the suburb of Fort Pierce. Culinary Arts graduates of Indian River State College earn a median of about $33,188 a year early in their careers.
Hinds Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Hinds Community College is a public school located in the rural area of Raymond. Culinary Arts graduates of Hinds Community College earn a median of about $30,246 a year early in their careers.
Virginia Western Community College earned the #6 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Virginia Western Community College typically earn about $33,687 annually.
Atlantic Technical College came in at #7 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Coconut Creek, Atlantic Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Atlantic Technical College typically earn about $33,286 annually.
Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College earned the #8 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Asheville, Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College typically earn about $33,786 annually.
Lively Technical Center came in at #9 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Lively Technical Center is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Lively Technical Center typically earn about $28,289 annually.
Louisiana Culinary Institute placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Set in the suburb of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Culinary Institute is a private for-profit institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Louisiana Culinary Institute earn a median of about $32,944 a year early in their careers.
Horry Georgetown Technical College landed the #11 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Horry Georgetown Technical College is a public school located in the city of Conway. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Horry Georgetown Technical College typically earn about $42,743 annually.
Guilford Technical Community College came in at #12 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Guilford Technical Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Jamestown. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Guilford Technical Community College make a median of around $31,175 per year.
Manatee Technical College came in at #13 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Bradenton, Manatee Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Manatee Technical College typically earn about $27,210 annually.
Wilkes Community College landed the #14 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Located in the town of Wilkesboro, Wilkes Community College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Wilkes Community College make a median of around $31,727 per year.
Fayetteville Technical Community College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Fayetteville Technical Community College is a public school located in the city of Fayetteville. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Fayetteville Technical Community College typically earn about $26,658 annually.
Johnson And Wales University Charlotte came in at #16 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Johnson And Wales University Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charlotte. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Johnson And Wales University Charlotte make a median of around $36,902 per year.
Miami Dade College landed the #17 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Miami, Miami Dade College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Miami Dade College earn a median of about $31,101 a year early in their careers.
Pierpont Community And Technical College landed the #18 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Set in the town of Fairmont, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Pierpont Community And Technical College make a median of around $37,821 per year.
Remington College Memphis Campus ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Remington College Memphis Campus is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Remington College Memphis Campus typically earn about $25,389 annually.
Northwest Arkansas Community College ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Located in the city of Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas Community College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Northwest Arkansas Community College make a median of around $26,002 per year.
Augusta Technical College placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Augusta Technical College is a public school located in the city of Augusta. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Augusta Technical College make a median of around $24,944 per year.
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Keiser University Ft Lauderdale make a median of around $32,736 per year.
Hillsborough Community College landed the #23 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Hillsborough Community College is a public school located in the city of Tampa. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Hillsborough Community College make a median of around $29,451 per year.
Sheridan Technical College earned the #24 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Sheridan Technical College is a public school located in the suburb of Hollywood. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Sheridan Technical College typically earn about $23,831 annually.
Central Piedmont Community College earned the #25 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Central Piedmont Community College is a public school located in the city of Charlotte. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $30,521.
Not far behind, these schools also produced high-earning culinary arts graduates:
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 · 45 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.