Culinary Artsat Southern New Hampshire University
Graduates earn $35,959/yr in their first year — about 26.0% above the national Culinary Arts average. Base-case 10-year earnings $482K; scenarios range from $454K to $482K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern New Hampshire University
While many culinary programs focus purely on knife skills, your SNHU degree is uniquely positioned to lead toward management and business operations. The curriculum's strength isn't just about crafting the perfect dish, but understanding the entire system behind it—from supply chain to profit margins. This business-centric approach explains why graduates often move into higher-paying roles like food service management for large institutions or hotel groups in the New England region, rather than staying on the line. Manchester's proximity to Boston also opens up a major metropolitan market for ambitious graduates. To maximize your investment, lean into the business courses and seek internships that focus on operational challenges, not just kitchen prep. This will fast-track you toward a leadership role with a more stable and lucrative career path.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Southern New Hampshire University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Culinary Arts
How Southern New Hampshire University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern New Hampshire University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern New Hampshire University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Culinary Arts offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Culinary Arts trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Culinary Arts at Southern New Hampshire University
What does a 46/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Culinary Arts at Southern New Hampshire University?
At 46/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Culinary Arts programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.
Is Southern New Hampshire University one of the best schools for Culinary Arts?
Among 12 Culinary Arts programs, Southern New Hampshire University's #3 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.