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2025 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

20 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
723 Associate Degrees
$27,081 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in culinary arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #23 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 20 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 723 associate degrees in culinary arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Culinary Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region The culinary arts associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for culinary arts students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Culinary Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Culinary Arts in the Great Lakes Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for an Associate in Culinary Arts

1
10 Annual Graduates

Madison Area Technical College is a great choice for individuals interested in an associate degree in culinary arts. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Madison Area Technical College

2

It's difficult to beat Milwaukee Area Technical College if you want to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts. MATC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Milwaukee.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the culinary arts program earn about $25,304 for their early career.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Milwaukee Area Technical College

3

National Louis University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in culinary arts. Located in the city of Chicago, NLU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the culinary arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,786.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from National Louis University

4

Fox Valley Technical College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in culinary arts. FVTC is a large public college located in the midsize suburb of Appleton.

Culinary Arts associate degree recipients from Fox Valley Technical College receive an earnings boost of around $7,655 over the typical income of culinary arts majors.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Fox Valley Technical College

5
Baker College crest
Baker College
Owosso, MI
46 Annual Graduates
$25,204 Median Starting Salary
$17,225 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Soon after graduating, culinary arts associate recipients typically earn an average of $25,204 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Baker College

6
COD crest
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL

COD is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn.

Associate students who receive their degree from the culinary arts program earn about $26,952 for their early career.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from College of DuPage

7

Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the culinary arts program earn around $28,037 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Sinclair Community College

8

Located in the city of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Associate recipients from the culinary arts major at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College earn $9,249 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

9

Grand Rapids Community College is a large public college located in the medium-sized city of Grand Rapids.

After graduating, culinary arts associate recipients usually earn around $24,473 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in culinary arts from Grand Rapids Community College

10
16 Annual Graduates

WCTC is a medium-sized public college located in the large suburb of Pewaukee.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Waukesha County Technical College

Best Culinary Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best culinary arts schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 196 133
Michigan 192 224
Indiana 123 12
Illinois 119 238
Wisconsin 114 106

View All Rankings >

Culinary Arts is one of 4 different types of Personal & Culinary Services programs to choose from.

Culinary Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts/Chef Training 518
Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef 151
Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager 43
Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant 5
Institutional Food Workers 3
General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts 2
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, & Dining Room Management/Manager 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Funeral & Mortuary Science 182
Cosmetology 64
Other Personal & Culinary Services 2

Notes and References

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