2026 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools in Iowa
[Personal & Culinary Services](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong personal & culinary services education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 27 schools to find the best return on investment for personal & culinary services students.
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2026 Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in personal & culinary services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Personal & Culinary Services Schools
Kirkwood Community College earned the #1 spot for value among personal & culinary services schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,176, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $15,375 in student loans. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of Kirkwood Community College earn a median of $21,391 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,375 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in personal & culinary services will find it at Western Iowa Tech Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,186, compared with $5,330 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $12,530. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of Western Iowa Tech Community College earn a median of $24,061 early in their careers. Set against $12,530 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in personal & culinary services will find it at Eastern Iowa Community College District, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,848, while out-of-state students pay about $6,456. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $15,995. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $41,510. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Faust Institute Of Cosmetology Spirit Lake is a great value for students pursuing a degree in personal & culinary services, landing the #4 spot this year. Faust Institute Of Cosmetology Spirit Lake is a small private for-profit school located in the town of Spirit Lake. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the personal & culinary services program here. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $20,098. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Iowa Western Community College one of the best values for personal & culinary services. Located in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,930, while out-of-state students pay about $7,080. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $15,153. Soon after graduation, personal & culinary services degree recipients from Iowa Western Community College generally make around $43,444. That is a strong return on a $15,153 median debt.
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #6 spot for personal & culinary services value this year. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $12,363 in student loans. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $32,059. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
La James College Of Hairstyling And Cosmetology came in at #7 for value in personal & culinary services this year. Set in the town of Mason City, La James College Of Hairstyling And Cosmetology is a small private for-profit institution. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $8,582. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of La James College Of Hairstyling And Cosmetology earn a median of $23,313 early in their careers. Set against $8,582 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Iowa School Of Beauty Des Moines earned the #8 position for value in personal & culinary services this year. Iowa School Of Beauty Des Moines is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Des Moines. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $9,130. Soon after graduation, personal & culinary services degree recipients from Iowa School Of Beauty Des Moines generally make around $20,355. That is a strong return on a $9,130 median debt.
Iowa School Of Beauty Sioux City earned the #9 position for value in personal & culinary services this year. Located in the city of Sioux City, Iowa School Of Beauty Sioux City is a small private for-profit university. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $16,811 in student loans. Soon after graduation, personal & culinary services degree recipients from Iowa School Of Beauty Sioux City generally make around $20,000. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Capri College Davenport landed the #10 spot for personal & culinary services value this year. Capri College Davenport is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Davenport. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $11,019 in student loans. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $22,161. That is a strong return on a $11,019 median debt.
E Q School Of Hair Design earned the #11 position for value in personal & culinary services this year. Located in the suburb of Council Bluffs, E Q School Of Hair Design is a small private for-profit university. Students borrow a median of $10,294 to complete the personal & culinary services program here. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of E Q School Of Hair Design earn a median of $16,234 early in their careers. Set against $10,294 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Capri College Cedar Rapids landed the #12 spot for personal & culinary services value this year. Capri College Cedar Rapids is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $11,681. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of Capri College Cedar Rapids earn a median of $23,586 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,681 median debt.
Capri College Dubuque ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value personal & culinary services schools. Capri College Dubuque is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the personal & culinary services program here. Soon after graduation, personal & culinary services degree recipients from Capri College Dubuque generally make around $19,651. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Aveda Institute Des Moines ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value personal & culinary services schools. Located in the city of West Des Moines, Aveda Institute Des Moines is a small private for-profit university. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of Aveda Institute Des Moines earn a median of $27,081 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
La James International College Ft Dodge ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value personal & culinary services schools. La James International College Ft Dodge is a small private for-profit school located in the town of Fort Dodge. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $26,679.
The Salon Professional Academy Cedar Falls placed #16 among the best values for personal & culinary services. The Salon Professional Academy Cedar Falls is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Students borrow a median of $14,120 to complete the personal & culinary services program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $20,955. Set against $14,120 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
La James International College Johnston ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best value personal & culinary services schools. Set in the suburb of Johnston, La James International College Johnston is a small private for-profit institution. Students borrow a median of $9,116 to complete the personal & culinary services program here. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $17,464. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Pci Academy Ames ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value personal & culinary services schools. Pci Academy Ames is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Ames. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $10,570. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $24,178. That is a strong return on a $10,570 median debt.
Pci Academy Iowa City landed the #19 spot for personal & culinary services value this year. Pci Academy Iowa City is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Iowa City. Typical student debt for personal & culinary services graduates is $10,570. Personal & Culinary Services graduates of Pci Academy Iowa City earn a median of $24,178 early in their careers. Set against $10,570 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
La James International College Cedar Falls landed the #20 spot for personal & culinary services value this year. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, La James International College Cedar Falls is a small private for-profit university. Graduates go on to earn a median of $25,575 ten years after entry.
La James International College Davenport earned the #21 position for value in personal & culinary services this year. La James International College Davenport is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Davenport. Personal & Culinary Services graduates carry a median of $12,751 in student loans. Early-career personal & culinary services graduates make about $18,120. Set against $12,751 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
More Personal & Culinary Services Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 27 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
