Culinary Arts at Milwaukee Area Technical College

With fewer than 30 graduates in this sample, treat these numbers as directional rather than definitive—but the direction isn't encouraging. Milwaukee Area Technical College's culinary program sits in just the 25th percentile for Wisconsin earnings, landing graduates at $25,304 initially while the state median for culinary programs is $30,020. That's a $5,000 gap your child would need to close, and Fox Valley Technical College's culinary grads earn nearly $10,000 more right out of the gate. The debt load of $19,386 exceeds both state and national medians for this field, creating a less favorable starting position than most alternatives.

The positive: earnings do grow 9% over four years, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77 means the debt is manageable, not crushing. Nearly half the students receive Pell grants, suggesting the school serves lower-income students who may have fewer options. Still, in a field where earnings start modest and grow slowly, choosing a program in the bottom quarter of state performance means accepting a slower financial start than necessary.

If Milwaukee is the only viable location due to family or work commitments, this program can work—culinary careers depend heavily on individual talent and hustle. But if your child has geographic flexibility within Wisconsin, the data suggests looking at programs that deliver stronger initial earnings, particularly Fox Valley or schools closer to the state median.