2026 Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools in the Southeast Region
[Institutional Food Workers](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/institutional-food-workers/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value institutional food workers schools.
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2026 Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in institutional food workers, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Institutional Food Workers Schools
Leading the list is Trident Technical College, our #1 best value for institutional food workers in the Southeast Region. Trident Technical College is a very large public school located in the city of Charleston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,546, compared with $8,620 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Early-career institutional food workers graduates make about $50,166. Set against $15,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Horry Georgetown Technical College one of the best values for institutional food workers. Set in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,518 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,978 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Horry Georgetown Technical College generally make around $24,466. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Columbus Technical College one of the best values for institutional food workers. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,052, with out-of-state students paying around $7,262. Students borrow a median of $15,845 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Early-career institutional food workers graduates make about $37,936. Set against $15,845 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in institutional food workers will find it at Greenville Technical College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Greenville, Greenville Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,495 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,775. Students borrow a median of $19,434 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Institutional Food Workers graduates of Greenville Technical College earn a median of $26,268 early in their careers. Set against $19,434 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes Pierpont Community And Technical College one of the best values for institutional food workers. Located in the town of Fairmont, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,762 in tuition and fees, compared with $13,660 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,268 to complete the institutional food workers program here. Early-career institutional food workers graduates make about $26,399. Set against $16,268 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Carteret Community College came in at #6 for value in institutional food workers this year. Carteret Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Morehead City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,310, while out-of-state students pay about $8,222. Institutional Food Workers graduates carry a median of $5,566 in student loans. Soon after graduation, institutional food workers degree recipients from Carteret Community College generally make around $48,953. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Alamance Community College came in at #7 for value in institutional food workers this year. Set in the suburb of Graham, Alamance Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,592, with out-of-state students paying around $8,736. Institutional Food Workers graduates carry a median of $6,625 in student loans. Institutional Food Workers graduates of Alamance Community College earn a median of $37,585 early in their careers. Set against $6,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ecpi University earned the #8 position for value in institutional food workers this year. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Ecpi University is a large private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,484. Typical student debt for institutional food workers graduates is $13,744. Institutional Food Workers graduates of Ecpi University earn a median of $21,480 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ecpi University admits about 74% 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 · 10 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.
