Learn. Create. Inspire. Prepare yourself for an exhilarating career in the fast-paced food industry with a Culinary Arts degree.
If you're passionate about food and like working with your hands—a degree in Culinary Arts is what you're looking for.In today's food industry, demanding and discerning consumers are fueling the need for highly-trained, creative, and experienced chefs. Whether your career goals include owning your own business, working in a top restaurant, or just learning how to cook— a culinary arts program can help you live your dream.
What kind of Culinary Arts degree should you get?
If you want to do well in the culinary industry, you'll need to find the right program. Success in the food-service industry requires knowledge of proper culinary techniques, the ability to select the right ingredients, and the intangible passion for cooking.
You'll also need to decide between a campus-based or online program. While most Culinary Arts programs are delivered in face-to-face format for obvious reasons, there are schools that offer high-quality online degrees and certificates in a wide range of culinary areas.
Online courses offer theoretical knowledge, and you'll gain real-world experience through externships and practical assignments. If you're interested, check out our Best Online Colleges and Universities.
Recommended Online Programs
How much money do people make with a Culinary Arts degree?
Looking for a career in a growth industry? Then look no further. The food service industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in the nation.
In 2016, food and drink sales of the U.S. restaurant industry amounted to approximately 766 billion U.S. dollars. And demand for professional chefs is expected to grow 10% percent by the year 2023.
How much money you'll make depends a lot on education and experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for chefs working in the U.S. as of May 2011 was $46,600. The top 10 percent of earners made $74,060 or more, while the lowest 10 percent made $24,770 or less.
In short, now is a great time to be trained for an artistically and financially rewarding culinary arts career.
What can you do with a degree in Culinary Arts?
Even if your culinary arts aspirations are fueled by the Food Network, you know that not everyone with a culinary arts degree will become a celebrity chef. A culinary arts program will help you figure out what area of culinary work you prefer.
And once you decide what kind of environment you want to work in, there are a wide variety of options to choose from— from personal chef to head chef or sous chef. Here are some other options:
Caterer
Restaurant cook
Executive chef
Food and beverage manager
What are the requirements for a degree in Culinary Arts?
Requirements for admission to Culinary Arts programs vary widely. Schools on our list vary from community colleges to private Culinary Institutes. You'll need to look closely at admissions pages on program websites to see what documents your favorite schools are requesting.
Some frequently requested admissions requirements include:
High school transcript or high school equivalency certification
Any other college or military transcripts
Some schools will require you to write an essay about yourself and your career goals.
If you are an international student, you may need to prove English Language Proficiency through a standardized test (like TOEFL).
Some programs require that students have some experience working in a professional kitchen.
What are the best Culinary Arts degrees?
You're about to make a significant financial commitment and you want to make sure you get into the best program. But what makes a great program? At College Choice, we look at three main variables: institutional reputation, tuition, and return on investment.
There are a lot of programs out there, and we at College Choice have slogged through data sources gleaning numbers on national rankings, peer assessments, and early career earnings. This ranking is the result of our labor, and the final College Choice Score represents academic excellence and the return on your tuition dollar.
So, without further ado—we present to you the definitive College Choice list of the Best Culinary Arts Degrees.
Ranking
See our rankings methodology page.
