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2023 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

183 Colleges
$6,079 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$26,607 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 130,328 people earned a degree or certificate in personal and culinary services, making the major the #31 most popular in the United States.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 183 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for personal and culinary services students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools in the United States

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Personal & Culinary Services

Our 2023 rankings named Clover Park Technical College the best value school in the United States for personal and culinary services students working on their associate degree. CPTC is a small public school located in the city of Lakewood.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CPTC are $5,740 per year.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Clover Park Technical College

#2

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, KS

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Johnson County Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. JCCC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park.

JCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,352 in tuition and fees each year.

JCCC also claimed a spot on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. CVTC is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

CVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,683 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CVTC also is in the top 10% of our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Chippewa Valley Technical College

#4

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Paul College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Saint Paul College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,041 in tuition and fees each year.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southeast Community College Area. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. Southeast Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Lincoln.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Southeast Community College also did well on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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

#6

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

Ridgewater College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ridgewater College are $5,914 per year.

Ridgewater College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Ridgewater College

#7

Lee College

Baytown, TX

Lee College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for personal and culinary services students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Lee College is a medium-sized public school located in the 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 Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at Lee College Report

#8

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

El Centro College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. El Centro College is a fairly 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.

El Centro College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at El Centro College Report

Madison Area Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for personal and culinary services students to get a associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Madison College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Madison.

Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year.

Madison College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Read More…

Waukesha County Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree personal and culinary services programs. WCTC is a moderately-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.

WCTC also claimed a spot on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at Waukesha County Technical College Report

#11

Gwinnett Technical College

Lawrenceville, GA

Gwinnett Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. GTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GTC are $5,636 per year.

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

#12

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX

Amarillo College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Amarillo College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,704 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Amarillo College

Athens Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Athens, Athens Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Athens Technical College are $5,462 a year.

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

University of Hawaii Maui College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree personal and culinary services programs. UH Maui College is a small public school located in the city of Kahului.

UH Maui College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,414 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#15

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI

With a ranking of #15, Oakland Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for personal and culinary services students working on their associate degree. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland Community College are $5,200 per year.

Oakland Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at Oakland Community College Report

Houston Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Houston, Houston Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year.

Read More…

Gateway Technical College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree personal and culinary services programs. Located in the suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Gateway Technical College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Read More…

#18

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX

Lone Star College System came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of The Woodlands, North Harris Montgomery is a public college with a fairly large student population.

North Harris Montgomery undergraduate students pay an average of $6,168 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Harris Montgomery also is in the top 10% of our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Lone Star College System

Kansas City Kansas Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree personal and culinary services programs. Kansas City Kansas Community College is a small public school located in the midsize city of Kansas City.

Kansas City Kansas Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,510 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at Kansas City Kansas Community College Report

Fox Valley Technical College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree personal and culinary services programs. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FVTC are $6,861 per year.

FVTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at Fox Valley Technical College

#20

Ogeechee Technical College

Statesboro, GA

Ogeechee Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for personal and culinary services students to get a associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the town of Statesboro, Ogeechee Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ogeechee Technical College are $5,540 per year.

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

#22

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

Cerritos College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. Cerritos College is a large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.

Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,026 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Personal & Culinary Services at Cerritos College Report

#23

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, MI

Schoolcraft College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for personal and culinary services students to get a associate degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Schoolcraft College is a moderately-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.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Schoolcraft College also did well on our Best Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

San Jacinto Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools list. San Jacinto College is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pasadena.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year.

Read full report on Personal & Culinary Services at San Jacinto Community College

#24

South Plains College

Levelland, TX

South Plains College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for personal and culinary services students to get a associate degree. It came in at #24 on the list. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Levelland.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Plains College are $4,276 a year.

Read More…

Rest of the Top Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great value schools for Personal & Culinary Services students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
28 Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI
29 FINE Mortuary College Norwood, MA
30 Southern Maine Community College South Portland, ME
31 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA
32 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
33 Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA
33 Grayson College Denison, TX
35 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
36 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX

Personal & Culinary Services by Region

View the Best Value Personal & Culinary Services 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

Personal & Culinary Services Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Cosmetology 107,895
Culinary Arts 19,806
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mechanic & Repair Technologies 96,336
Precision Production 52,913
Construction Trades 35,794
Transportation & Materials Moving 29,084

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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