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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the early-career earnings of their culinary arts graduates.
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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 Iowa Western Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Iowa Western Community College earn a median of about $50,785 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Hennepin Technical College earned it the #2 place for culinary arts. Set in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Hennepin Technical College make a median of around $43,529 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at North Dakota State College Of Science earned it the #3 place for culinary arts. Located in the town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College Of Science is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,940.
Central Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Central Community College typically earn about $39,855 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Johnson County Community College one of the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Johnson County Community College is a public school located in the city of Overland Park. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,068.
Metropolitan Community College Area earned the #6 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Metropolitan Community College Area is a public school located in the city of Omaha. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Metropolitan Community College Area make a median of around $38,492 per year.
Southeast Community College Area landed the #7 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a public institution. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $34,047.
Mitchell Technical Institute earned the #8 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Mitchell Technical Institute earn a median of about $36,953 a year early in their careers.
Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College earned the #9 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College make a median of around $33,988 per year.
Des Moines Area Community College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Des Moines Area Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Des Moines Area Community College make a median of around $41,811 per year.
Kirkwood Community College earned the #11 position for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Kirkwood Community College is a public school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $34,065.
Kansas City Kansas Community College placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for culinary arts. Kansas City Kansas Community College is a public school located in the city of Kansas City. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Kansas City Kansas Community College make a median of around $26,427 per year.
Ozarks Technical Community College came in at #13 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Ozarks Technical Community College is a public school located in the city of Springfield. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Ozarks Technical Community College make a median of around $30,509 per year.
Saint Louis Community College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Saint Louis Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Bridgeton. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,232.
Western Iowa Tech Community College came in at #15 for culinary arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Western Iowa Tech Community College make a median of around $24,061 per year.
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 · 15 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.