2023 Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 147 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for culinary arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 15% Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Johnson County Community College the best value school in the United States for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. JCCC is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Overland Park.
JCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,352 in tuition and fees each year. Culinary Arts majors at JCCC take out an average of $13,463 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
JCCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Full Culinary Arts at Johnson County Community College Report
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Out of the 147 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Chippewa Valley Technical College landed the # 2 spot on the list. CVTC is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CVTC are $6,683 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Saint Paul College is a great value for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Paul College are $6,041 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from Saint Paul College carry an average student debtload of $20,167.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Southeast Community College Area helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value culinary arts schools in the United States. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Lincoln.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,780 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from Southeast Community College carry an average student debtload of $18,731.
Southeast Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Full Culinary Arts at Southeast Community College Area Report
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The excellent associate degree programs at Clover Park Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value culinary arts schools in the United States. CPTC is a small public school located in the small city of Lakewood.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CPTC are $5,740 per year.
Full Culinary Arts at Clover Park Technical College Report
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Lee College 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 #6 on the list. Lee College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Baytown.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee College are $4,302 per year.
Lee College also claimed a spot on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #7, El Centro College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the large city of Dallas.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. On average, culinary arts graduates from El Centro College take out $22,807 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, El Centro College also is in the top 5% of our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking.
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With a ranking of #8, Madison Area Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Madison College is a large public school located in the city of Madison.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Madison College are $6,769 a year. On average, culinary arts graduates from Madison College take out $17,638 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Madison College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
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Waukesha County Technical College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCTC are $6,603 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at WCTC accumulate an average of around $16,964 in student debt.
WCTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Full Culinary Arts at Waukesha County Technical College Report
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With a ranking of #10, Gwinnett Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. GTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GTC are $5,636 a year.
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Athens Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Athens, Athens Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Athens Technical College are $5,462 per year.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Hawaii Maui College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. UH Maui College is a small public school located in the city of Kahului.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UH Maui College are $8,414 per year.
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Delgado Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Delgado Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of New Orleans.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delgado Community College are $4,079 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at Delgado Community College accumulate an average of around $22,042 in student debt.
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Oakland Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oakland Community College are $5,200 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Oakland Community College also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Gateway Technical College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 per year.
Gateway Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Fox Valley Technical College 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 #16 on the list. Located in the suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
FVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,861 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, FVTC also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Schoolcraft College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Schoolcraft College is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Livonia.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Schoolcraft College are $7,574 a year. The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at Schoolcraft College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $21,172.
Schoolcraft College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
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South Plains College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. South Plains College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Levelland.
South Plains College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,276 in tuition and fees each year.
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Georgia Northwestern Technical College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Rome, Georgia Northwestern Technical College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Georgia Northwestern Technical College are $5,462 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Georgia Northwestern Technical College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
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Cerritos College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Cerritos College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Norwalk.
Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,026 in tuition and fees each year.
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Wiregrass Georgia Technical College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the small suburb of Valdosta, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College are $5,552 per year.
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With a ranking of #22, Kapiolani Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Kapiolani CC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Honolulu.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kapiolani CC are $8,420 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from Kapiolani CC carry an average student debtload of $11,867.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Kapiolani Community College
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Culinary Arts students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Southern Maine Community College | South Portland, ME |
| 24 | Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 25 | Grayson College | Denison, TX |
| 26 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community College | Cincinnati, OH |
| 27 | San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena, TX |
| 28 | Milwaukee Area Technical College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 29 | Ogeechee Technical College | Statesboro, GA |
Culinary Arts by Region
View the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Culinary Arts Rankings
Majors Related to Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts is one of 4 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Culinary Arts
| 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 25 schools only.
- 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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