[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong general cooking & related culinary arts education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general cooking & related culinary arts students.
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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.
Coahoma Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value general cooking & related culinary arts schools in Mississippi. Located in the rural area of Clarksdale, Coahoma Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,490. Students borrow a median of $11,745 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Coahoma Community College earn a median of $29,600 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,745 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Hinds Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the rural area of Raymond, Hinds Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,250, with out-of-state students paying around $7,300. Students borrow a median of $12,169 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Hinds Community College earn a median of $34,003 early in their careers. Set against $12,169 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Meridian Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general cooking & related culinary arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Meridian, Meridian Community College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,078, compared with $6,478 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,368 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Early-career general cooking & related culinary arts graduates make about $34,846. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general cooking & related culinary arts will find it at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which ranked #4. Located in the rural area of Perkinston, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,250, while out-of-state students pay about $7,850. Students borrow a median of $11,653 to complete the general cooking & related culinary arts program here. Soon after graduation, general cooking & related culinary arts degree recipients from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College generally make around $34,214. That is a strong return on a $11,653 median debt.
Jones County Junior College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general cooking & related culinary arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Jones County Junior College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Ellisville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,700, compared with $5,700 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general cooking & related culinary arts graduates is $9,559. General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts graduates of Jones County Junior College earn a median of $33,655 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,559 median debt.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
