by our College Data Analytics Team
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a culinary arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying culinary arts schools.
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.
Louisiana Culinary Institute earned the #1 spot for highest-paid culinary arts graduates in Louisiana. Set in the suburb of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Culinary Institute is a private for-profit institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Louisiana Culinary Institute make a median of around $32,944 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Bossier Parish Community College earned it the #2 place for culinary arts. Located in the city of Bossier City, Bossier Parish Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $17,827.
Nicholls State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in culinary arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Thibodaux, Nicholls State University is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Nicholls State University earn a median of about $38,417 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Crescent City Bartending School earned it the #4 place for culinary arts. Crescent City Bartending School is a private for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. Culinary Arts graduates of Crescent City Bartending School earn a median of about $18,552 a year early in their careers.
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 · 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.