Culinary Arts at Guilford Technical Community College

The numbers here tell a troubling story, even accounting for the small sample size: graduates face double the national debt burden while earning about half what the typical culinary associate's degree delivers. That first-year median of $14,813 ranks in just the 10th percentile among North Carolina's 25 culinary programs, while the debt load exceeds both state and national norms significantly.

The 81% earnings growth over four years brings graduates closer to their peers—$26,751 is approaching the state median—but they're climbing out of a deep hole. With debt exceeding $32,000, graduates would need nearly two-and-a-half years of their first-year earnings just to cover what they borrowed. Compare this to Asheville-Buncombe Tech, where culinary graduates start at $32,602 with presumably more manageable debt, or Central Piedmont, which hits the state median right out of the gate.

For families considering culinary school in North Carolina, this program appears to underperform on both sides of the value equation. The small sample size means individual circumstances vary widely, but when a program lands in the bottom 10% statewide for earnings while carrying well above-average debt, that's a pattern worth heeding. Other community colleges in the state deliver better starting points in the same field.