BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and Related Services worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 20 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$254,009 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
128.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−92%Estimated return after 10 years
$47,139Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$158,615
$8,000Annual price−$190,615
$16,000Annual price−$222,615
$24,000Current college-wide context−$254,615
$32,000Annual price−$286,615
$40,000Annual price−$318,615
Outcomes at a glance
$47,139Typical earnings four years after completion
$39,010Average earnings five years after completion
$27,000Typical federal student debt
14thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
20College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Culinary Arts and Related Services
How much do Culinary Arts and Related Services bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $47,139 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $27,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Culinary Arts and Related Services?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $42,043 to $48,346 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Culinary Arts and Related Services?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $33,155
- Federal debt
- $11,834
- Programs in the comparison
- 99
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,508
- Federal debt
- $15,584
- Programs in the comparison
- 111
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,139
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 20
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,558
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $31,636
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$42,043National median$47,13975th percentile$48,346
20 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Culinary Institute of America
$61,944 four years after completionHyde Park, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus
$13,000 among completer borrowersCarolina, PR · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classJohnson & Wales University-Providence
168 reported awards in 2024–25Providence, RI · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$55,056Observed year-4 earnings$32,489
Culinary Institute of America$36,113 price · $61,944 earningsJohnson & Wales University-Providence$31,027 price · $55,056 earningsJohnson & Wales University-Charlotte$27,426 price · $55,056 earningsSouthern New Hampshire University$36,708 price · $52,058 earningsSUNY College of Technology at Delhi$17,225 price · $51,716 earningsSUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$18,701 price · $48,346 earningsDrexel University$38,509 price · $48,094 earningsWalnut Hill College$32,351 price · $47,308 earningsNicholls State University$12,947 price · $46,969 earningsPaul Smiths College of Arts and Science$26,683 price · $42,652 earningsMississippi University for Women$12,411 price · $42,043 earningsUniversity of North Alabama$12,170 price · $38,735 earningsUniversidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus$7,761 price · $32,489 earnings
$7,761Annual college-wide average net price$36,708
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
13 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 13 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Culinary Institute of America$61,9442Johnson & Wales University-Providence$55,0563Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte$55,0564Southern New Hampshire University$52,0585SUNY College of Technology at Delhi$51,7166SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$48,3467Drexel University$48,0948Walnut Hill College$47,3089Nicholls State University$46,96910Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science$42,652Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →14%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Chefs and Head Cooks$62,470 median wage200,040 jobs nationwide+6.6% projected growth through 2035 · 25,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,900–$98,560 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080 median wage1,223,240 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 171,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$29,940–$65,570 typical wage rangeCooks, All Other$37,690 median wage19,350 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$27,040–$51,140 typical wage rangeFood Service Managers$69,390 median wage238,430 jobs nationwide+5.8% projected growth through 2035 · 38,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$45,960–$107,640 typical wage rangeCooks, Private Household$47,940 median wage1,100 jobs nationwide+5.1% projected growth through 2035 · 5,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$36,090–$91,130 typical wage rangeCooks, Institution and Cafeteria$37,450 median wage441,050 jobs nationwide+2.8% projected growth through 2035 · 62,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$28,480–$49,670 typical wage rangeCooks, Restaurant$37,390 median wage1,409,890 jobs nationwide+12.1% projected growth through 2035 · 218,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$28,700–$47,900 typical wage rangeFood Scientists and Technologists$88,720 median wage13,060 jobs nationwide+6.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$52,920–$145,280 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage rangeButchers and Meat Cutters$40,140 median wage136,430 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 15,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$29,460–$58,110 typical wage rangeSlaughterers and Meat Packers$40,130 median wage69,950 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 7,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$33,340–$51,090 typical wage rangeBakers$37,160 median wage236,200 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 36,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$28,120–$49,020 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.