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Culinary & pastry schools in Iowa
Iowa has 8 accredited campuses awarding culinary credentials. If you finish and work as a chef in Iowa, expect to start around $36,770–$42,620 and reach a median of $47,990 with experience; the top quarter earn $59,380 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Iowa). Graduates of these Iowa programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $26,926 in their first year, against $24,208 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What chefs and head cooks earn in Iowa
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 1,640 employed in Iowa. National median: $62,470.
Campuses in Iowa, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AnkenyCedar RapidsCouncil BluffsDavenportFort DodgeMarshalltownOttumwaSioux City
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 40 | $30,970 | $8,334 | 39% | not reported |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | Public | 44 | $26,926 | $9,511 | 43% | not reported |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | Public | 41 | $19,772 | $11,000 | 50% | not reported |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 29 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport | Public | 11 | not reported | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | Public | 9 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Marshalltown Community College | Marshalltown | Public | 9 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | Public | 5 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.