How much do Culinary Arts and Related Services associate's degree graduates from Colorado Mesa University earn?

The reported median is $42,801 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

Federal debt is not reported for this cohort.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 8% above the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Culinary Arts and Related Services associate's degree at Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, CO · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$3,196 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff: Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff: −118% · Negative payoff
Available price data: College-wide context only

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−$111,990

$8,000Annual price−$127,990

$15,000Current college-wide context−$141,990

$16,000Current college-wide context−$143,990

$24,000Annual price−$159,990

$32,000Annual price−$175,990

$40,000Annual price−$191,990

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not available → $34,075

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

24Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

26Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

17Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential

Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential

NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

67Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

42Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

37Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

32.3%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 20 non-completers

31Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$39,174Informational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$42,801$3,627 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$15,103

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$42,801

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →

AVERAGE NET PRICE$15,103Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$24,046Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE82.0%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE40.6%Institution-wide completion rate

WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

Not availableYear 1

$42,801Year 4

$34,075Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$3,567

Estimated loan paymentNot available

17borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$42,801 vs. $39,605

$3,196 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median

WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.

Chefs and Head Cooks$65,400 median wageCO estimate · 3,970 jobs · 35-1011$58,220–$79,420 middle 50% of CO wages+6.6% projected U.S. growth · 25,200 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$50,550 median wageCO estimate · 25,510 jobs · 35-1012$42,850–$61,680 middle 50% of CO wages+5.4% projected U.S. growth · 171,500 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentCooks, All Other$43,490 median wageCO estimate · 100 jobs · 35-2019$37,510–$49,780 middle 50% of CO wages+5.2% projected U.S. growth · 2,800 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialFood Service Managers$79,870 median wageCO estimate · 2,440 jobs · 11-9051$68,750–$99,480 middle 50% of CO wages+5.8% projected U.S. growth · 38,800 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentCooks, Private Household$47,940 median wageU.S. estimate · 1,100 jobs · 35-2013+5.1% projected U.S. growth · 5,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Postsecondary nondegree awardCooks, Institution and Cafeteria$42,500 median wageCO estimate · 9,440 jobs · 35-2012$38,450–$47,920 middle 50% of CO wages+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 62,900 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialCooks, Restaurant$41,600 median wageCO estimate · 30,600 jobs · 35-2014$36,930–$45,740 middle 50% of CO wages+12.1% projected U.S. growth · 218,600 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialFood Scientists and Technologists$99,580 median wageCO estimate · 320 jobs · 19-1012$74,830–$130,830 middle 50% of CO wages+6.2% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$83,210 median wageCO estimate · 480 jobs · 25-1199$41,460–$150,340 middle 50% of CO wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 12,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSlaughterers and Meat Packers$50,480 median wageCO estimate · 1,590 jobs · 51-3023$45,270–$57,950 middle 50% of CO wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 7,700 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialButchers and Meat Cutters$47,490 median wageCO estimate · 2,200 jobs · 51-3021$38,780–$53,360 middle 50% of CO wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 15,100 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialBakers$40,650 median wageCO estimate · 4,680 jobs · 51-3011$37,100–$48,280 middle 50% of CO wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 36,500 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credential

Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Colorado Springs, CO

Pikes Peak State College

$9,096 lower annual net price

Earnings: $41,389
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $6,007

View outcomes →

Boulder, CO

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder

$1,736 lower annual net price

Earnings: $41,274
Debt: $17,303
Annual net price: $13,367

View outcomes →

Seattle, WA

Seattle Central College

$11,145 higher earnings · $6,284 lower annual net price

Earnings: $53,946
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $8,819

View outcomes →

Glen Ellyn, IL

College of DuPage

$7,702 higher earnings · $7,702 lower annual net price

Earnings: $50,503
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $7,401

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

26 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

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