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2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate

272 Ranked Colleges
9,697 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Personal & Culinary Services is the 31st most popular major in the country with 119,853 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, personal and culinary services graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $17,656 and had an average of $12,064 in loans still to pay off.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 9,697 personal and culinary services graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate” ranking analyzed 272 colleges that offered a degree in personal and culinary services. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality personal and culinary services programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the personal and culinary services program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Personal & Culinary Services

#1

Madison Area Technical College

Madison, Wisconsin
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Madison Area Technical College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Madison College is a fairly large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 15 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

Madison College also made our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Madison College is $9,904 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Read more about Personal & Culinary Services at Madison College

#2

Century College

White Bear Lake, Minnesota
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 272 schools in the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Century College landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

Century College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Century College is $10,808 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Full Century College Personal & Culinary Services Report

#3

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, Washington
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clover Park Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. CPTC is a small school located in Lakewood, Washington that handed out 59 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CPTC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,904 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Clover Park Technical College.

Full Clover Park Technical College Personal & Culinary Services Report

#4

Valencia College

Orlando, Florida
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valencia College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Valencia College is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to qualified students.

Valencia College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $5,205 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Full Valencia College Personal & Culinary Services Report

#5

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, Kansas
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johnson County Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate. Located in Overland Park, Kansas, this fairly large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified associates’s personal and culinary services students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our associate degree personal & culinary services students list, JCCC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,632 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend JCCC.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at JCCC

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

Cincinnati State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,469 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

Read more about Personal & Culinary Services at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

#7

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Joliet Junior College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. This fairly large school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 58 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

Joliet Junior College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Joliet Junior College is $4,693 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Joliet Junior College

#8

John A Gupton College

Nashville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

John A Gupton College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

John A Gupton College also made our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend John A Gupton College is $12,817 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at John A Gupton College

#9

Hill College

Hillsboro, Texas

Hill College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Hill College is a public institution located in Hillsboro, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,182 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Hill College.

Full Hill College Personal & Culinary Services Report

Top 15% in overall quality

San Jacinto Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Pasadena, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, San Jacinto College is in the top on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,692 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend San Jacinto Community College.

Read more about Personal & Culinary Services at San Jacinto College

Top 20% in overall quality

Metropolitan Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, MCC also did well on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend MCC is $4,295 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Metropolitan Community College

#12

Athens Technical College

Athens, Georgia
Top 15% in overall quality

Athens Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Athens Technical College is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to qualified students.

Athens Technical College excels when it comes to personal and culinary services quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Athens Technical College is $4,937 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Athens Technical College

Top 15% in overall quality

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified associates’s personal and culinary services students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Southwest Tech is also in the top of our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Southwest Tech is $9,955 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Southwest Tech Personal & Culinary Services Report

#14

Kapiolani Community College

Honolulu, Hawaii
#4 in overall quality

Kapiolani Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 61 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

Kapiolani CC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,368 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Kapiolani CC.

Read more about Personal & Culinary Services at Kapiolani Community College

#15

Ogeechee Technical College

Statesboro, Georgia
Top 20% in overall quality

Ogeechee Technical College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Ogeechee Technical College is located in Statesboro, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Ogeechee Technical College is also in the top of our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $391 for associate degree personal & culinary services students per year to attend Ogeechee Technical College.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Ogeechee Technical College

#16

North Dakota State College of Science

Wahpeton, North Dakota
Top 20% in overall quality

North Dakota State College of Science landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. This small school is located in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and it awarded 10 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Dakota State College of Science is also in the top of our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State College of Science is $10,940 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Full North Dakota State College of Science Personal & Culinary Services Report

#17

Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

Fox Valley Technical College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Fox Valley Technical College is a public institution located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FVTC excels when it comes to personal and culinary services quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Fox Valley Technical College is $11,127 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at FVTC

Southeast Community College Area did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified associates’s personal and culinary services students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,059 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Southeast Community College.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Southeast Community College

#19

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

Waukesha County Technical College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. WCTC is a medium-sized school located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 21 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees in 2019-2020.

WCTC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for WCTC is $10,165 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students.

Full WCTC Personal & Culinary Services Report

#20

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois
Top 15% in overall quality

Elgin Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #20. ECC is located in Elgin, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, ECC also did well on our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,185 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend Elgin Community College.

Full Elgin Community College Personal & Culinary Services Report

#21

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

Chippewa Valley Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #21. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,773 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend CVTC.

Read more about Personal & Culinary Services at CVTC

#22

South Georgia Technical College

Americus, Georgia

South Georgia Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. South Georgia Technical College is located in Americus, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $-947 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students per year to attend South Georgia Technical College. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Full South Georgia Technical College Personal & Culinary Services Report

#23

Houston Community College

Houston, Texas
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Houston Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 88 degrees to qualified associates’s personal and culinary services students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Houston Community College is also in the top of our “Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Houston Community College is $5,272 for Associate Degree Personal & Culinary Services students.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Houston Community College

#24

South Plains College

Levelland, Texas

With a ranking of #24, South Plains College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate list. Levelland, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,600 for associate degree personal & culinary services students per year to attend South Plains College.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at South Plains College

#25

Carl Sandburg College

Galesburg, Illinois
Top 25% in overall quality

Carl Sandburg College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate ranking. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s personal and culinary services degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Carl Sandburg College is $2,792 for associate degree personal & culinary services students.

Full Carl Sandburg College Personal & Culinary Services Report

Rest of the Best 41 in Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools for an Associate

Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Sullivan University

Louisville, Kentucky
#29

Spokane Community College

Spokane, Washington
#30

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida
#32

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois
#33

Nassau Community College

Garden City, New York
#34

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois
#35

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida
#36

El Centro College

Dallas, Texas
#36

NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Bentonville, Arkansas
#38

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
#39

San Juan College

Farmington, New Mexico
#40

Ridgewater College

Willmar, Minnesota
#41

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Notes and References

References

  • 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.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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