Culinary Arts and Related Services programs in Iowa
16 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 5 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $32,711 at Kirkwood Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Cooks, Restaurant in Iowa earn a median of $35,670 a year across 12,270 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $38,760 | 11,400 |
| Bartenders | $21,720 | 9,560 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $35,810 | 8,860 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | $37,750 | 4,480 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $43,820 | 4,220 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Associate's degree | $9,511 | $32,711 (32 grads) | 17 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | $30,771 (14 grads) | 23 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Associate's degree | $8,334 | $28,236 (45 grads) | 25 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Associate's degree | — | $25,194 (15 grads) | 6 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Associate's degree | $11,000 | $21,964 (13 grads) | 9 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 20 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 15 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 16 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 24 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Culinary Arts and Related Services — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.