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2026 Highest Paid Culinary Arts Grads in Nebraska

[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 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying culinary arts schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Culinary Arts Grads in Nebraska

2026 Highest Paid Culinary Arts Grads in Nebraska

Below are the schools whose culinary arts graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid Culinary Arts Graduates

1

Central Community College
Grand Island, NE

$39,855 Average Early-Career Salary

Central Community College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools in Nebraska. Set in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public institution. Culinary Arts graduates of Central Community College earn a median of about $39,855 a year early in their careers.

2

Metropolitan Community College Area
Omaha, NE

$38,492 Average Early-Career Salary

Metropolitan Community College Area came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Metropolitan Community College Area is a public school located in the city of Omaha. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Area typically earn about $38,492 annually.

3

Southeast Community College Area
Lincoln, NE

$34,047 Average Early-Career Salary

Students chasing top earnings in culinary arts will find them at Southeast Community College Area, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a public institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Southeast Community College Area make a median of around $34,047 per year.

View All Culinary Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

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 · 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.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.