Culinary Arts & Baking programs: earnings, debt and schools by state
993 certificate and associate-degree programs at 602 U.S. schools teach chefs, cooks and bakers. Federal data shows what past graduates earned and borrowed. Culinary arts programs (CIP 12.05) cover kitchen fundamentals, baking and pastry, food safety and kitchen management.
Best-paying culinary programs (one year after completion)
Ranked by the median earnings of completers working and not enrolled, among programs with at least 10 earners reported. High earnings can reflect local labor markets and who enrolls, so compare debt and completion too.
| School | City | Program | Credential | Completers/yr | 1-yr earnings | Median debt | Monthly payment* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeward Community College | Pearl City, HI | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 10 | $51,380 | – | – |
| Saint Paul College | Saint Paul, MN | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 18 | $47,456 | $13,746 | $156 |
| Seattle Central College | Seattle, WA | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 45 | $47,046 | $16,250 | $185 |
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh, NC | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 20 | $46,577 | – | – |
| Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids, MI | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Certificate | 33 | $45,065 | $8,645 | $98 |
| Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids, MI | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 28 | $43,955 | $9,888 | $112 |
| Prince George's Community College | Largo, MD | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 18 | $43,862 | – | – |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose, CA | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Certificate | 10 | $43,440 | – | – |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet, IL | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 35 | $43,155 | – | – |
| Utah Valley University | Orem, UT | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 29 | $42,171 | – | – |
| Miami Dade College | Miami, FL | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 28 | $41,073 | – | – |
| Montgomery County Community College | Blue Bell, PA | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Certificate | 21 | $41,067 | – | – |
| Institute of Culinary Education | New York, NY | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Certificate | 655 | $40,275 | $6,777 | $77 |
| Institute of Culinary Education | Pasadena, CA | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Certificate | 265 | $40,275 | $6,777 | $77 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana, PA | Culinary Arts and Related Services | Associate degree | 6 | $40,218 | – | – |
*Scorecard's estimated monthly payment on the median debt over 10 years. “Not reported” means the Department suppressed or did not publish the figure.
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Culinary programs by state
| State | Programs | Schools | Median 1-yr earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14 | 7 | not reported | – |
| Alaska | 5 | 3 | not reported | – |
| Arizona | 23 | 15 | $33,387 | $9,500 |
| Arkansas | 11 | 8 | $30,001 | $17,897 |
| California | 112 | 62 | $40,275 | $10,916 |
| Colorado | 15 | 9 | $34,348 | $20,274 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 3 | $32,411 | $13,503 |
| Delaware | 2 | 1 | $34,831 | – |
| Florida | 63 | 50 | $31,137 | $9,500 |
| Georgia | 38 | 20 | $29,359 | $11,416 |
| Hawaii | 10 | 5 | $45,788 | – |
| Idaho | 4 | 2 | not reported | – |
| Illinois | 38 | 22 | $36,589 | $11,520 |
| Indiana | 4 | 3 | not reported | $7,513 |
| Iowa | 17 | 9 | $33,508 | $14,250 |
| Kansas | 15 | 9 | not reported | – |
| Kentucky | 19 | 10 | $36,480 | $13,370 |
| Louisiana | 15 | 11 | $24,890 | $31,941 |
| Maine | 9 | 5 | $31,356 | – |
| Maryland | 16 | 9 | $38,136 | $13,503 |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 10 | $36,028 | – |
| Michigan | 31 | 19 | $36,746 | $13,211 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 9 | $47,456 | $13,746 |
| Mississippi | 22 | 11 | $27,974 | $16,386 |
| Missouri | 14 | 9 | $26,751 | $16,126 |
| Montana | 8 | 5 | not reported | – |
| Nebraska | 7 | 4 | $34,733 | – |
| Nevada | 4 | 2 | $34,257 | – |
| New Hampshire | 5 | 3 | not reported | – |
| New Jersey | 29 | 17 | $33,262 | $9,500 |
| New Mexico | 19 | 12 | not reported | – |
| New York | 43 | 27 | $35,748 | $12,000 |
| North Carolina | 52 | 28 | $35,234 | $13,944 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 2 | not reported | – |
| Ohio | 17 | 10 | $38,896 | $15,088 |
| Oklahoma | 17 | 15 | $29,685 | $12,000 |
| Oregon | 9 | 6 | $28,108 | $12,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | 30 | $35,916 | $12,000 |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 2 | $36,999 | $14,137 |
| South Carolina | 13 | 8 | $37,040 | $18,900 |
| South Dakota | 5 | 3 | not reported | – |
| Tennessee | 14 | 10 | $24,958 | $10,077 |
| Texas | 58 | 31 | $28,740 | $11,000 |
| Utah | 12 | 10 | $42,171 | – |
| Virginia | 22 | 14 | $34,860 | $14,010 |
| Washington | 31 | 17 | $42,464 | $16,250 |
| West Virginia | 11 | 7 | $26,934 | – |
| Wisconsin | 29 | 15 | $35,610 | $25,123 |
| Wyoming | 5 | 3 | not reported | – |
States with fewer than three programs have no detail page.
What to know before you enroll
There is no single required license for cooks; employers often value experience, and food-safety manager certifications are common requirements.
Questions to ask every school
- What do graduates typically earn compared with the program's debt?
- Is an externship or paid stage included?
- Are knives and uniforms included in the price?
For national pay and job outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics profile: Chefs and Head Cooks.
Frequently asked questions
How much do culinary graduates earn?
Among 114 culinary programs that report earnings, the median first-year figure is $33,992 for certificate programs ($31,975) and $34,733 for associate programs. These are medians of past graduates and vary by state and employer.
How much debt do culinary students take on?
The median federal loan debt among borrowers across programs reporting it is $13,083. Many students in short programs borrow nothing; the figure only covers borrowers.
Is the data current?
It comes from the College Scorecard release dated October 15, 2026. The Department updates it annually and each figure describes graduates from earlier years.
Can I trust a school's own job-placement claims?
Treat them as a starting point. Ask for the placement rate definition, the number of graduates counted and the time window, then compare with the federal earnings above.
Related programs
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study and Institution files (release dated 10/15/2026). Earnings are median annual earnings of completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; debt is median federal loan debt of borrowers; both describe past cohorts and small programs are suppressed by the Department. See our methodology.