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 schools below stand out for the salaries their culinary arts graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 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.
Scottsdale Community College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid culinary arts graduates in Arizona. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Scottsdale Community College typically earn about $39,397 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Estrella Mountain Community College earned it the #2 place for culinary arts. Set in the suburb of Avondale, Estrella Mountain Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Estrella Mountain Community College typically earn about $33,303 annually.
Arizona Culinary Institute produces some of the highest-paid graduates in culinary arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Arizona Culinary Institute is a private for-profit school located in the city of Scottsdale. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Arizona Culinary Institute typically earn about $34,396 annually.
The ranking above is published 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 · 3 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.