2026 Best Value Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/baking-and-pastry-arts-baker-pastry-chef/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 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 the The Plains States Region
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
Leading the list is Saint Louis Community College, our #1 best value for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef in the The Plains States Region. Set in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,660, while out-of-state students pay about $6,990. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $11,424 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $26,318. That is a strong return on a $11,424 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Southeast Community College Area one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,444 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $4,032. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $19,146 in student loans. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $31,590. Set against $19,146 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Kirkwood Community College one of the best values for baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,176 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Students borrow a median of $15,375 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College generally make around $41,681. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Hennepin Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Hennepin Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,940. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates carry a median of $17,887 in student loans. Soon after graduation, baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef degree recipients from Hennepin Technical College generally make around $52,059. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef schools. Set in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College A Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,326 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Early-career baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef graduates make about $32,478. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Johnson County Community College earned the #6 position for value in baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef this year. Set in the city of Overland Park, Johnson County Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,424, while out-of-state students pay about $5,688. Students borrow a median of $13,532 to complete the baking & pastry arts/baker/pastry chef program here. Baking & Pastry Arts/baker/pastry Chef graduates of Johnson County Community College earn a median of $38,977 early in their careers. Set against $13,532 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
