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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

39 Ranked Colleges
814 Degrees Awarded
$25,276 Avg Salary
Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 21,906 people earned their degree in culinary arts, making the major the 80th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, culinary arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $23,822 and had an average of $19,004 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,698 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,767 and $19,400 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 814 culinary arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,508 and $17,812 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 39 colleges that offered a degree in culinary arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great culinary arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the culinary arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Culinary Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Madison Area Technical College

Madison, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Madison Area Technical College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Madison Area Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 15 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Madison College, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Madison Area Technical College is $10,694 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Madison College Culinary Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cincinnati State is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

Cincinnati State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,808 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cincinnati State.

Full Cincinnati State Culinary Arts Report

#3

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Joliet Junior College landed the #3 spot on the list. Joliet Junior College is a public institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Joliet Junior College also took the #4 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Joliet Junior College is $4,482 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Joliet Junior College Culinary Arts Report

#4

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 18 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, ECC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elgin Community College is $6,022 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Elgin Community College

#5

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Moraine Valley Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Moraine Valley Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Palos Hills, Illinois. It awarded 17 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, MVCC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Moraine Valley Community College is $5,411 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at MVCC

#6

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

College of Lake County landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. College of Lake County is located in Grayslake, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

College of Lake County also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $6,232 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend College of Lake County.

Full College of Lake County Culinary Arts Report

#7

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It awarded 12 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland Community College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,411 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland Community College.

Full Oakland Community College Culinary Arts Report

With a ranking of #8, Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cuyahoga Community College District is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

Cuyahoga Community College District also took the #14 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,215 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cuyahoga Community College District.

Full Cuyahoga Community College District Culinary Arts Report

#9

Washtenaw Community College

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Washtenaw Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 25 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Washtenaw Community College is $5,164 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Washtenaw Community College Culinary Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a public institution located in Fennimore, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, Southwest Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,509 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southwest Tech.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

#11

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. MATC is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, MATC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,235 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Full MATC Culinary Arts Report

#12

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Waukesha County Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

WCTC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,729 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WCTC.

Read more about Culinary Arts at WCTC

#13

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, Michigan

Henry Ford College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Henry Ford College is $5,633 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Henry Ford College Culinary Arts Report

#14

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, Michigan

Schoolcraft College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Schoolcraft College is a medium-sized public school situated in Livonia, Michigan. It awarded 16 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Schoolcraft College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Schoolcraft College is $8,458 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Schoolcraft College

#15

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

Chippewa Valley Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CVTC also made our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for CVTC is $11,801 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at CVTC

#16

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 22 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand Rapids Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Rapids Community College is $10,055 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Grand Rapids Community College

#17

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Southwestern Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southwestern Illinois College is a public institution located in Belleville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, SWIC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $8,720 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SWIC Culinary Arts Report

#18

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, Michigan

Northwestern Michigan College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Traverse City, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

NMC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,845 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NMC.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Northwestern Michigan College

#19

Richland Community College

Decatur, Illinois

Richland Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Richland Community College is $5,782 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Richland Community College

#20

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 11 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Gateway Technical College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,747 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Gateway Technical College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Culinary Arts at Gateway Technical College

#21

Blackhawk Technical College

Janesville, Wisconsin

Blackhawk Technical College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Blackhawk Technical College is a small public school situated in Janesville, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BTC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Blackhawk Technical College is $9,635 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full BTC Culinary Arts Report

#22

Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, Wisconsin

Fox Valley Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fox Valley Technical College is a public institution located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FVTC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FVTC is $12,739 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Fox Valley Technical College

Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Sinclair Community College is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $5,495 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Sinclair Community College Culinary Arts Report

#24

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois

Triton College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Triton College is located in River Grove, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 associates’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,436 for Great Lakes Region Associate Degree Culinary Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Triton College.

Full Triton College Culinary Arts Report

#25

Western Technical College

La Crosse, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #25, Western Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Culinary Arts Schools for an Associate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Technical College is a small school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 6 associates’s culinary arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, Western Technical College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $11,347 for great lakes region associate degree culinary arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Western Technical College Culinary Arts Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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