2026 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Wisconsin
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for culinary arts students.
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2026 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools in Wisconsin
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the culinary arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools
Lakeshore Technical College tops our 2026 list of the best value culinary arts schools in Wisconsin. Located in the rural area of Cleveland, Lakeshore Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,844 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $11,582 in student loans. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Lakeshore Technical College generally make around $41,252. That is a strong return on a $11,582 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Gateway Technical College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,956, with out-of-state students paying around $7,199. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $14,829 in student loans. Soon after graduation, culinary arts degree recipients from Gateway Technical College generally make around $42,410. Set against $14,829 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Waukesha County Technical College one of the best values for culinary arts. Waukesha County Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,803, compared with $7,046 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,595 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Waukesha County Technical College earn a median of $46,398 early in their careers. Set against $16,595 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value culinary arts schools. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,184, compared with $7,427 for out-of-state students. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $19,386 in student loans. Culinary Arts graduates of Milwaukee Area Technical College earn a median of $25,304 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,386 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in culinary arts will find it at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,960, compared with $7,203 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,997 to complete the culinary arts program here. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $42,016. That is a strong return on a $14,997 median debt.
Blackhawk Technical College came in at #6 for value in culinary arts this year. Blackhawk Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Janesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,747, while out-of-state students pay about $6,803. Culinary Arts graduates carry a median of $13,715 in student loans. Culinary Arts graduates of Blackhawk Technical College earn a median of $44,256 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,715 median debt.
Fox Valley Technical College placed #7 among the best values for culinary arts. Fox Valley Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Appleton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, compared with $7,283 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,234 to complete the culinary arts program here. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $34,736. That is a strong return on a $14,234 median debt.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #8 for value in culinary arts this year. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Students borrow a median of $14,234 to complete the culinary arts program here. Culinary Arts graduates of Chippewa Valley Technical College earn a median of $45,531 early in their careers. Set against $14,234 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Madison Area Technical College placed #9 among the best values for culinary arts. Madison Area Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Madison. Students from in state pay about $4,977 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,141 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,812 to complete the culinary arts program here. Early-career culinary arts graduates make about $44,279. That is a strong return on a $16,812 median debt.
More Culinary Arts Rankings
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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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
