Culinary Arts and Related Services: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 216 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Culinary Arts and Related Services pays
Career outlook for Culinary Arts and Related Services graduates
The job market for the occupations Culinary Arts and Related Services graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, restaurant | 1,460,200 | +14.9% | $36,830 | No formal educational credential |
| First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | 1,215,000 | +6.0% | $42,010 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bartenders | 756,700 | +5.9% | $33,530 | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | 466,100 | +2.0% | $36,450 | No formal educational credential |
| Food service managers | 352,800 | +6.4% | $65,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bakers | 249,100 | +5.6% | $36,650 | No formal educational credential |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Culinary Arts and Related Services vs similar majors
How Culinary Arts and Related Services stacks up against the closest fields in Personal & Culinary Services on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Culinary Arts and Related Services Personal & Culinary Services · this major | Funeral Service and Mortuary Science | Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other | Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 16 F | 31 F | 18 F | 18 F |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Poor return | Poor return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $32,080 | $52,167 | $24,047 | $22,413 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $24,866 | $43,805 | $24,306 | $17,538 |
| ROI vs cost | -266% | -8% | -378% | -400% |
| Typical debt | $16,431 | $16,769 | $9,500 | $8,912 |
| Colleges offering it | 216 | 30 | 1 | 1,008 |
Culinary Arts and Related Services earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Culinary Arts and Related Services
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut State Community College New Britain, CT | Certificate | $53,983 | — | +680% | Strong return |
| 2 | Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY | Certificate | $62,294 | — | +379% | Strong return |
| 3 | Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, IA | Certificate | $50,785 | — | +295% | Strong return |
| 4 | Brookdale Community College Lincroft, NJ | Certificate | $49,261 | — | +279% | Strong return |
| 5 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | Associate's | $44,782 | $23,500 | -103% | Poor return |
| 6 | Boston University Boston, MA | Certificate | $42,738 | — | -123% | Poor return |
| 7 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Paul Smiths, NY | Associate's | $42,296 | $27,000 | -143% | Poor return |
| 8 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI | Associate's | $39,083 | $27,000 | -182% | Poor return |
| 9 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Associate's | $39,083 | $27,000 | -192% | Poor return |
| 10 | Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY | Certificate | $41,224 | $12,000 | -193% | Poor return |
| 11 | Walnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA | Associate's | $35,928 | $27,000 | -222% | Poor return |
| 12 | Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN | Certificate | $43,529 | — | -243% | Poor return |
| 13 | National Louis University Chicago, IL | Certificate | $42,444 | $12,833 | -248% | Poor return |
| 14 | Walnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA | Certificate | $38,256 | $12,000 | -284% | Poor return |
| 15 | Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI | Certificate | $42,557 | $12,319 | -286% | Poor return |
| 16 | Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA | Associate's | $38,417 | $25,000 | -288% | Poor return |
| 17 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | Certificate | $37,590 | — | -302% | Poor return |
| 18 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC | Certificate | $42,743 | $16,500 | -322% | Poor return |
| 19 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA | Certificate | $41,811 | $8,334 | -325% | Poor return |
| 20 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI | Certificate | $36,778 | $14,167 | -327% | Poor return |
| 21 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ | Certificate | $41,795 | — | -340% | Poor return |
| 22 | Mississippi University for Women Columbus, MS | Associate's | $36,618 | $25,500 | -346% | Poor return |
| 23 | SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY | Associate's | $35,701 | — | -349% | Poor return |
| 24 | Arizona Culinary Institute Scottsdale, AZ | Certificate | $34,396 | $9,500 | -351% | Poor return |
| 25 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Certificate | $36,778 | $14,167 | -352% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.