Culinary Institute Inc — ROI, Cost & Payback
Culinary Institute Inc charges a net price of $30,428/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $60,856. Median earnings ten years after entry are $32,195, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Culinary Institute Inc does not clear its cost — it ranks #165 of 213 Texas colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $30,428/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $60,856 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $32,195 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$16,165/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $16,004 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$384,156 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Culinary Institute Inc's own numbers. Net price $30,428 × 2 years = $60,856 total. Median earnings $32,195 fall $16,165 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $60,856 bill in about 6.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Culinary Institute Inc students graduate with?
A median $16,004 in federal loans among completers, or 50% of the $32,195 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Culinary Institute Inc students graduate?
100% finish their degree. Spread the $60,856 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $60,856 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Culinary Institute Inc expensive compared with other Texas colleges?
Its $30,428 net price runs $11,069 above the $19,359 median across the 213 Texas colleges we profile, or $22,138 more across the full degree.