Culinary Arts at Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University's Culinary Arts bachelor's graduates earn $35,959 in their first year—solidly ahead of the $29,622 national median for culinary programs and placing them in the 95th percentile nationally. However, the sample size here is small (under 30 graduates), which means these numbers could swing significantly with just a few data points. The $26,000 median debt is roughly average for culinary programs nationwide, translating to manageable monthly payments of around $290 for a typical ten-year loan.

What's encouraging is the 12% earnings growth to $40,398 by year four, suggesting graduates find their footing in the industry rather than plateauing immediately. As the only school in New Hampshire offering a bachelor's in culinary arts, direct state comparisons aren't available, but the earnings advantage over national peers is meaningful. For context, 75% of culinary bachelor's programs nationally produce lower first-year earnings than SNHU's graduates report.

The small sample size is the real wildcard here—these strong numbers could reflect a few exceptional outcomes rather than a consistent pattern. If your child is serious about culinary management (this is a bachelor's, not a certificate), the debt load is reasonable and the early outcomes look promising, but recognize you're looking at limited data. Consider whether the four-year investment makes sense versus shorter culinary programs that cost less upfront.