There are many reasons to go to culinary school; money is not one of them.

If the going rate for a culinary education is averaging $28,000 per year (similar to private four-year colleges), but a degree only warrants between 2 to 11 percent more money earned per year compared to those in similar positions without a culinary degree, why are culinary school enrollment numbers at an all-time high?

Current students share why they decided to attend:

So, sure culinary school provides students with the tricks and tools necessary for a career in the food world, but do knife skills and plating techniques necessarily translate to bigger paychecks? Guess you have to answer that question for yourselves.

This article originally appeared on Eater.