2023 Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree School for You
In 2021-2022, 22,075 people earned a degree or certificate in culinary arts, making the major the #11 most popular in the United States.
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 147 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for culinary arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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2023 Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the culinary arts associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
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. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at JCCC are $5,472 a year.
JCCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list.
Full Culinary Arts at Johnson County Community College Report
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Chippewa Valley Technical College is a great value for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CVTC are $6,793 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Out of the 147 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Paul College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Saint Paul College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
Saint Paul College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,318 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at Saint Paul College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,696.
Out of the 147 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeast Community College Area landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,864 per year. On average, culinary arts graduates from Southeast Community College take out $14,745 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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 Trade Schools list.
Out of the 147 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Clover Park Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Lakewood, CPTC is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CPTC are $5,979 per year.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Clover Park Technical College
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. Located in the small city of Baytown, Lee College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Lee College are $4,302 a year.
Lee College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list.
El Centro College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the large city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. Culinary Arts majors at El Centro College take out an average of $9,985 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, El Centro College also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Madison Area 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 #8 on the list. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a large student population.
Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,812 in tuition and fees each year. On average, culinary arts graduates from Madison College take out $12,211 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Madison College also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Madison Area Technical College
With a ranking of #9, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCTC are $6,722 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from WCTC carry an average student debtload of $20,902.
WCTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list.
Gwinnett Technical College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, GTC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GTC are $5,686 a year.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Gwinnett Technical College
Athens Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Athens Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Athens.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Athens Technical College are $5,462 a year.
University of Hawaii Maui College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Kahului, UH Maui College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UH Maui College are $8,420 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UH Maui College also is in the top 15% of our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking.
Delgado Community 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 #13 on the list. Located in the city of New Orleans, Delgado Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delgado Community College are $4,679 a year. On average, culinary arts graduates from Delgado Community College take out $24,673 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Oakland Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland Community College are $5,400 per year.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Oakland Community College
Gateway Technical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
Gateway Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,917 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Gateway Technical College
Fox Valley Technical College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. FVTC is a large public school located in the midsize suburb of Appleton.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FVTC are $6,977 a year.
FVTC also claimed a spot on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Fox Valley Technical College
Schoolcraft College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Schoolcraft College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,652 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at Schoolcraft College accumulate an average of around $14,643 in student debt.
South Plains College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Levelland, South Plains College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Plains College are $4,857 a year.
Georgia Northwestern 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 #19 on the list. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Rome.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Georgia Northwestern Technical College are $5,512 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Georgia Northwestern Technical College also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Culinary Arts at Georgia Northwestern Technical College Report
With a ranking of #20, Cerritos College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Norwalk, Cerritos College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cerritos College are $10,324 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cerritos College also did well on our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wiregrass Georgia 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 #21 on the list. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is a small public school located in the small suburb of Valdosta.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,562 in tuition and fees each year.
Kapiolani Community 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 #22 on the list. Located in the large city of Honolulu, Kapiolani CC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kapiolani CC are $8,420 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at Kapiolani CC accumulate an average of around $11,265 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Kapiolani CC also is in the top 20% of our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top 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 |
| Other U.S. Territories |
| Great Lakes |
Culinary Arts Related Majors for Culinary Arts
One of 4 majors within the trade school area of study, culinary arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Culinary Arts Focus Areas
Most Popular Majors Related to Culinary Arts
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cosmetology | 124,611 |
| Funeral & Mortuary Science | 2,186 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 385 |
| Other Personal & Culinary Services | 95 |
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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