[General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/cooking-and-related-culinary-arts-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general cooking & related culinary arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in general cooking & related culinary arts, no school beat Red Rocks Community College this year. Red Rocks Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lakewood. In-state tuition and fees average $4,859, while out-of-state students pay about $17,459. Students borrow a median of $14,471 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $76,340. Set against $14,471 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Pickens Technical College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Aurora, Pickens Technical College is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,140 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,250 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,250 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Pickens Technical College generally make around $35,622. Set against $10,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Pikes Peak Community College, which ranked #3. Pikes Peak Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Colorado Springs. In-state tuition and fees average $4,510, while out-of-state students pay about $17,110. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $16,066. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Pikes Peak Community College generally make around $41,037. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pueblo Community College earned it the #4 place for general cooking & related culinary arts. Set in the city of Pueblo, Pueblo Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,049, compared with $17,649 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $14,106. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $42,377. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools. Set in the city of Boulder, Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts Boulder is a large private for-profit institution. Students borrow a median of $14,198 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $27,953. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mesa State College landed the #6 spot for general cooking & related culinary arts value this year. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,927, while out-of-state students pay about $25,124. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Mesa State College generally make around $43,617. Set against $22,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mesa State College admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 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.
