Culinary Arts and Related Services
What graduates really earn, where the degree pays off most, and whether the numbers add up for you.
Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)
Best Schools for Culinary Arts and Related Services by Earnings
| # | School | 4yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence RI · Private | $55,056 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private | $52,058 |
| 3 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi NY · Public | $51,716 |
| 4 | SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill NY · Public | $48,346 |
| 5 | Drexel University PA · Private | $48,094 |
| 6 | Nicholls State University LA · Public | $46,969 |
| 7 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science NY · Private | $42,652 |
| 8 | Mississippi University for Women MS · Public | $42,043 |
| 9 | University of North Alabama AL · Public | $38,735 |
| 10 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus PR · Private | $32,489 |
School-by-school analysis: Culinary Arts and Related Services
Editorial breakdowns of how culinary arts and related services graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.
Culinary Arts is JWU's largest program at 168 graduates. Median year-one earnings are $32,775 and year-four $55,056, against $27,000 median debt and a 0.824 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade D). Culinary careers offer real professional pathways, but the financial model of paying $31,027 per year for culinary training that leads to $32,775 starting pay is difficult to justify. Community college culinary programs offer comparable skills training at a fraction of the cost.
Culinary Arts graduates 14 per year with $27,738 starting and $48,346 at 4 years. Debt data is not published. Culinary careers are notoriously slow-ramp, and the data shows it: students who graduate and stay in the industry see meaningful wage growth between years 1 and 4. ROI is grade-uncomputed but directionally tight; students should evaluate this versus shorter-cycle culinary credentials.
Culinary produced 12 graduates with first-year earnings of $31,506 against $27,000 in debt - a 0.857 ratio and D grade. This is a tough financial profile: the culinary industry pays poorly entry-level, and Paul Smith's culinary tuition isn't meaningfully cheaper than the CIA's. Students choosing culinary here should plan on owner-operator or hospitality-management pathways rather than line-cook trajectories.
Culinary Arts (9 graduates) earns $20,026 year-one and $42,043 at year four (F grade, debt-to-earnings 1.286, median debt $25,750). Year-one earnings of $20k are below a living wage in most markets. The F grade and 1.286 ratio reflect the mismatch between culinary program debt and entry-level hospitality industry wages. Despite an interesting four-year trajectory to $42k, the early financial period is extremely difficult. Small cohort limits data robustness.
Culinary Arts graduates 66 students with year-one earnings of just $14,017 climbing to $32,489 by year four; the steep four-year growth suggests graduates progress from line-cook entry roles into supervisory positions in PR's substantial hospitality and tourism sector. Median debt of $13,000 produces a 0.93 ratio and a D ROI grade. The four-year trajectory tells a more optimistic story than year-one numbers suggest.
Is Culinary Arts and Related Services Worth It?
Passion Play - Manage the Cost
The money on Culinary Arts and Related Services is genuinely tough. An average $28,725 four years out is hard to square with a big tuition bill. If this is your passion, go for it - but keep debt as low as you can: in-state public, scholarships, anything that pulls the net cost down.
This is a more specialized field, offered at 10 schools in our data. Fewer options means less room to optimize on cost, so weigh each aid offer closely.
The top earner here is Drexel University, where graduates pull $48,094 four years out. But an average hides a wide spread - where you go, and what you do with the degree, matter as much as the major itself.
Earnings data represents median earnings 4 years after graduation for graduates of bachelor's programs, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Individual outcomes vary significantly based on career path, location, and other factors.