Arizona Culinary Institute
A good fit for students who want small classes and close faculty access. for-profit institutions have higher scrutiny — research carefully. strong 88% graduation rate.
About This School
Arizona Culinary Institute is a private for-profit institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona with approximately 149 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $38,815 per year. The graduation rate is 88%, and the typical graduate earns $41,651 within 10 years of enrollment.
Students who are serious about a hands-on culinary career and want a tight-knit program — not a sprawling university experience — will find a lot to like here. The 88% graduation rate is genuinely strong for a culinary school, and the median debt at graduation is a surprisingly manageable $9,500, which is well below what most students carry out of comparable programs. The honest concern is the earnings side: median income sits at $41,651 ten years after enrollment, and with an annual net price of $38,815, you're looking at a real payback challenge if your student takes more than a year or two to complete the program. Culinary careers often start slow on salary, so families should go in with clear eyes about timeline to financial stability and have a concrete plan — ideally a job lined up in a specific market like restaurants, hotels, or catering where Scottsdale's hospitality industry offers genuine local opportunity. If your student is focused, likely to finish, and motivated to work their way up quickly, this program's low debt load makes it more defensible than many for-profit culinary options — just don't count on a big salary boost right out the gate.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 18% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (149 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
Other Schools in Arizona
University of Phoenix-Arizona
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ · Public
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ · Public
See How Colleges Compare
Arizona Culinary Institute is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Arizona Culinary Institute cost?
The average net price at Arizona Culinary Institute is about $38,815 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Arizona Culinary Institute?
Arizona Culinary Institute has a graduation rate of 88%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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