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2024 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

41 Colleges in the Southeast Region
1,687 Associate Degrees
$24,093 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #23 in popularity, culinary arts is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 41 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,687 associate degrees in culinary arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Culinary Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of culinary arts for getting your associate degree school matters. Important measures of a quality culinary arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for culinary arts students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Culinary Arts Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Culinary Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The culinary arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.


 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Culinary Arts in the Southeast Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for culinary arts students seeking a an associate degree.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools for an Associate in Culinary Arts

1
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
55 Annual Graduates
$24,166 Median Starting Salary
$17,468 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Valencia College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts. Valencia College is a very large public college located in the large city of Orlando.

Associate students who receive their degree from the culinary arts program make about $24,166 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Valencia College

2
206 Annual Graduates
$26,084 Median Starting Salary
$14,745 Median Student Debt

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte is a good decision for individuals pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts. JWU Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Charlotte.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the culinary arts program make about $26,084 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte

3
ECPI University crest
ECPI University
Virginia Beach, VA
136 Annual Graduates
$22,745 Median Starting Salary
$18,043 Median Student Debt

ECPI University is a good option for students interested in an associate degree in culinary arts. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, ECPI University is a private for-profit university with a large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the culinary arts program report average early career wages of $22,745.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from ECPI University

4
Sullivan University crest
Sullivan University
Louisville, KY
80 Annual Graduates
$23,826 Median Starting Salary
$15,265 Median Student Debt

Sullivan University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in culinary arts. Located in the city of Louisville, Sullivan University is a private for-profit university with a small student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the culinary arts program make an average of $23,826 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Sullivan University

5

Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Raleigh.

Those culinary arts students who get their associate degree from Wake Technical Community College earn $7,723 more than the average culinary arts graduate.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Wake Technical Community College

6
20 Annual Graduates

Savannah Tech is a small public college located in the medium-sized city of Savannah.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Savannah Technical College

7

MDC is a very large public college located in the large city of Miami.

Associate recipients from the culinary arts major at Miami Dade College make $4,024 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Miami Dade College

8
58 Annual Graduates
$25,910 Median Starting Salary
$20,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the culinary arts program report average early career wages of $25,910.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

9
GTC crest
Gwinnett Technical College
Lawrenceville, GA
8 Annual Graduates

GTC is a medium-sized public college located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Gwinnett Technical College

10

Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a large student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the culinary arts program make around $24,931 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Central Piedmont Community College

Best Culinary Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best culinary arts schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 143 89
Georgia 121 184
Florida 121 294
North Carolina 120 401
Arkansas 105 53
Tennessee 102 36
Virginia 97 250
West Virginia 92 33
Kentucky 90 109
Louisiana 80 90
South Carolina 77 85
Alabama 69 63

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Personal & Culinary Services area of study, Culinary Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Culinary Arts Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts/Chef Training 899
Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef 307
General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts 232
Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager 214
Institutional Food Workers 31
Other Culinary Arts & Related Services 4

Majors Similar to Culinary Arts

Related Major Annual Graduates
Funeral & Mortuary Science 444
Cosmetology 330

Notes and References

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