Best Culinary Arts colleges in the U.S.

Written by Tien Rooney

Culinary Arts is an excellent degree for students interested in learning more about the skills needed to enter the culinary profession as a chef or sous-chef. Due to the hands-on nature of this career, students can expect to have a mix of in-class and theoretical coursework that teaches them skills like how to develop different french sauces, how to use an oven or a grill, and introductions to modern gastronomy.

Best Culinary Arts colleges in the U.S. for 2024

Johnson & Wales University is a small, private university located in the city of Providence, Rhode Island which is home to many other schools including the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. This university has just under 9,000 enrolled students and offers 3 culinary arts degree programs that awarded 3 undergraduate certificates, 138 associate degrees, and 76 bachelor’s degrees in 2021. The city of Providence is known for its great parks, culture, and thriving arts community.

Helms College
Macon, GA

Helms College is a very small, private school located in rural Macon, Georgia with just over 300 students. This school offers 2 Culinary Arts degree programs that saw 64 graduates receive an associate certificate and 50 graduates receive a bachelor’s degree in the 2020-2021 academic year. Students can explore the city of Macon’s renowned architecture and tour over 10 districts listed on the National Register.

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Macomb Community College is a small, 2-year public school in a mid-sized city that offers associate degrees and certificates to students that meet the graduation requirements of one of their many academic programs. The school has just 1 Culinary Arts degree program that awarded 3 certificates and 18 associate degrees in 2021. Macomb is located in the city of Warren which sits just west of Lake St. Clair.

Tidewater Community College is a mid-sized 2-year public school in Norfolk, Virginia with just under 17,000 undergraduate students. This school is the second largest two-year school in the state and offers 1 Culinary Arts Degree program that awarded 11 certificates and 6 associate degrees to students that graduated in 2021. Norfolk is home to a large number of naval and coast guard facilities and has a large port.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College is a small public school located in rural Paducah, Kentucky which is known locally as the Quilt City where the largest quilt show in America is held annually. The school offers 1 Culinary Arts degree program to students interested in pursuing a career in the field. This program awarded 56 certificates and 7 associate degrees in 2021.

Cerritos College
Norwalk, CA

Cerritos College is a 2-year public school located in suburban Norwalk, California with just over 20,000 students and a strong bachelor’s placement program. This school has 1 Culinary Arts degree program. Graduates from the class of 2021 were awarded 38 certificates and 30 associate degrees. The Cerritos Falcons are led by their school mascot, Franco.

Olympic College
Bremerton, WA

Olympic College is a small, public school located in the coastal city of Bremerton, Washington just west of Seattle and can be reached by ferry. Bremerton has a large naval presence and is the largest town in Kitsap County. Olympic College has a very small but mighty culinary arts program, with 3 graduates earning certificates and 1 earning an associate degree in 2021.

Nicholls State College is a small, 4-year public school with over 5,000 students that operates 1 Culinary Arts degree program. Located in Thibadeaux, Louisiana, just 50 miles west of New Orleans, this school awarded 8 associate degrees and 4 bachelor’s degrees to culinary arts graduates in 2021.

Southern Adventist University offers 5 Culinary Arts degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 2 Culinary Arts students graduated with students earning 2 Associate's degrees.

Cabrillo College
Aptos, CA

Cabrillo College is a small, 2-year public institution with around 12,000 enrolled students, located in suburban Aptos, California. This school has 1 Culinary Arts degree program with 20 students graduating last year with undergraduate certificates, while 5 received Bachelor’s Degrees in Culinary Arts. Students at Cabrillo can enjoy temperate temperatures year-round and can often be found frequenting the famous Santa Cruz pier and beach.

List of all Culinary Arts colleges in the U.S.

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Culinary Institute of America Logo Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY
5/5
24 : 1 3,124
Johnson & Wales University-Providence Logo Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI
5/5
19 : 1 4,566
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Logo Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder, CO   72 : 1 8,894
Santa Rosa Junior College Logo Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA
1/5
50 : 1 15,552
Kapiolani Community College Logo Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI
2/5
37 : 1 5,828