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2023 Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Virginia
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree School for You
In 2021-2022, 357 degrees and certificates were awarded to culinary arts students who went to a Virginia college or university. This makes it the #15 most popular major in the state.
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
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 in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in Virginia 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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2023 Best Value Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in Virginia
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for culinary arts majors pursuing a associate degree.
Best Virginia Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Culinary Arts
Our 2023 rankings named Virginia Western Community College the best value school in Virginia for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia Western Community College are $5,103 a year.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Virginia Western Community College
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Tidewater Community College is a great value for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tidewater Community College are $5,561 a year. On average, culinary arts graduates from Tidewater Community College take out $19,654 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Out of the 5 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, ECPI University landed the # 4 spot on the list. ECPI University is a large private for-profit school located in the large city of Virginia Beach.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECPI University are $18,484 per year. Culinary Arts majors at ECPI University take out an average of $16,992 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $151, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Out of the 5 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, The Art Institute of Virginia Beach landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Ai Virginia Beach is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Ai Virginia Beach undergraduate students pay an average of $20,794 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at Ai Virginia Beach take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,097. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $227.
Best Value Culinary Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Culinary Arts Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 864 |
| South Carolina | 215 |
| Arkansas | 283 |
| North Carolina | 811 |
| Florida | 1,298 |
| West Virginia | 59 |
| Louisiana | 367 |
| Alabama | 94 |
| Kentucky | 359 |
| Tennessee | 104 |
| Mississippi | 320 |
Majors Related to Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts is one of 4 different types of trade school programs to choose from.
Culinary Arts Concentrations
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 5 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.