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Culinary & pastry schools in Kansas

Kansas has 8 accredited campuses awarding culinary credentials. If you finish and work as a chef in Kansas, expect to start around $36,540–$43,990 and reach a median of $58,390 with experience; the top quarter earn $74,990 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Kansas). Graduates of these Kansas programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $23,217 in their first year, against $24,208 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What chefs and head cooks earn in Kansas

$36,540starting (10th percentile)
$43,990early career (25th)
$58,390median, all experience
$74,990experienced (75th)
$89,990top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 860 employed in Kansas. National median: $62,470.

Campuses in Kansas, ranked by what their graduates earned

8campuses in Kansas
143credentials awarded / yr
$23,217median earnings, yr 1 (Kansas)
$24,208median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: BeloitEl DoradoEmporiaKansas CityOverland ParkTopekaWichita

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
Johnson County Community College Overland Park Public 32 $38,287 not reported 31% not reported
Butler Community College El Dorado Public 11 $23,217 not reported 32% not reported
Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City Public 75 $22,947 not reported 42% not reported
Flint Hills Technical College Emporia Public 8 not reported not reported 68% not reported
Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka Public 7 not reported not reported 68% not reported
North Central Kansas Technical College Beloit Public 4 not reported not reported 78% not reported
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita Public 4 not reported not reported 43% not reported
Washburn University Topeka Public 2 not reported not reported not reported 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.

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