Find Affordable College Courses

What Do You Want to Study?

Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

2023 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

22 Colleges
$25,593 Avg Salary
$17,005 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree School for You

Culinary Arts is the #100 most popular major in the country with 19,806 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 22 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

Check out the culinary arts associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin the best school in the Southwest Region for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Austin, Escoffier - Austin is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from Escoffier - Austin carry an average student debtload of $17,367. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $133, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information
#2

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

Out of the 22 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, El Centro College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at El Centro College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $22,807.

Read More…

Request Information
#3

Culinary Institute Inc

Houston, TX

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Culinary Institute Inc is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Culinary Institute LeNotre is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Houston.

On average, culinary arts graduates from Culinary Institute LeNotre take out $26,751 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $173.

Read More…

Request Information

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The Art Institute of Dallas is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. The Art Institute of Dallas is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Dallas.

Culinary Arts majors at The Art Institute of Dallas take out an average of $23,869 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $203, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Austin Community College District is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from Austin Community College District carry an average student debtload of $12,254.

Full Culinary Arts at Austin Community College District Report

Request Information
#6

Lee College

Baytown, TX

Lee College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Baytown, Lee College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Culinary Arts at Lee College Report

Request Information

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for culinary arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. OSU Institute of Technology is a small public school located in the distant town of Okmulgee.

While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at OSU Institute of Technology accumulate an average of around $18,432 in student debt.

Read More…

Request Information
#8

Del Mar College

Corpus Christi, TX

Del Mar College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. DMC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Corpus Christi.

Full Culinary Arts at Del Mar College Report

Request Information
#9

Grayson College

Denison, TX

With a ranking of #9, Grayson College did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Denison, Grayson College is a public school with a small student population.

Read More…

Request Information
#10

St Philip's College

San Antonio, TX

St Philip’s College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of San Antonio, St Philip's College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Culinary Arts at St Philip’s College Report

Request Information

Best Culinary Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best culinary arts colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.

State Degrees Awarded
Texas 701
Arizona 87
Oklahoma 26
New Mexico 42

One of 4 majors within the area of study, culinary arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Cosmetology 107,895
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 22 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to U.S. Army Europe Images.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.