2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in Illinois
[Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/baking-and-pastry-arts-baker-pastry-chef/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools
For return on investment in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef, no school beat Moraine Valley Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Palos Hills, Moraine Valley Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,822 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,846. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,149 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $43,844. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Triton College earned it the #2 place for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Triton College is a large public school located in the suburb of River Grove. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,070, while out-of-state students pay about $15,330. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $12,994. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $43,278. Set against $12,994 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Richland Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the city of Decatur, Richland Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,680, with out-of-state students paying around $17,070. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $9,562 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Richland Community College earn a median of $46,233 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,562 median debt.
City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the city of Chicago, City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,590, while out-of-state students pay about $15,150. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $7,986. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College earn a median of $19,447 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,986 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef will find it at Joliet Junior College, which ranked #5. Joliet Junior College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Joliet. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,530, while out-of-state students pay about $13,800. Students borrow a median of $16,375 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $28,252. Set against $16,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Elgin Community College came in at #6 for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,252, compared with $9,516 for out-of-state students. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $7,727 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Elgin Community College earn a median of $43,975 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Dupage landed the #7 spot for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef value this year. Set in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,560 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,750. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $12,492. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of College Of Dupage earn a median of $26,952 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,492 median debt.
College Of Lake County placed #8 among the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the suburb of Grayslake, College Of Lake County is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,788 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,400. Typical student debt for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates is $9,785. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from College Of Lake County generally make around $50,314. Set against $9,785 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Rend Lake College came in at #9 for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Rend Lake College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Ina. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,500, with out-of-state students paying around $7,800. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $8,688 in student loans. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Rend Lake College earn a median of $42,770 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $8,688 median debt.
Mchenry County College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,162, while out-of-state students pay about $14,399. Students borrow a median of $7,440 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Mchenry County College earn a median of $24,177 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,440 median debt.
National Louis University came in at #11 for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Set in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,245. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $24,786. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
More Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Rankings
View All Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
