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2024 Best Colleges for Culinary Arts in America

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About This List

The Best Colleges for Culinary Arts ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The ranking compares the top culinary schools in the U.S. This year's rankings have introduced an Economic Mobility Index, which measures the economic status change for low-income students. ACT/SAT scores have been removed from rankings to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Where Niche Grades come from and how Niche calculates rankings.

    FAQs

    How many colleges for culinary arts are in America?
    There are 674 colleges in this list.
    What is the average acceptance rate for colleges for culinary arts in America?
    For the top 25 colleges, the average acceptance rate is 90%, which makes these schools not competitive to get into. For these colleges, Eastern New Mexico University is the most competitive with an acceptance rate of 28% and Walnut Hill College is the least competitive with an acceptance rate of 100%. Try using the Niche Admissions Calculator to get an idea of your chances.

    Best Colleges for Culinary Arts

    Do you love food and dream of making a career of your passion? Whether you’re happiest in the kitchen or intrigued by the business side of the hospitality industry, you might want to consider a culinary arts degree.

    At Niche, we identified these colleges as the best schools for culinary arts. Depending on which one you choose, you could learn anything from nutrition to cooking fundamentals to the advanced techniques needed to create a spun-sugar centerpiece.

    What Are the Different Culinary Arts Degrees?

    Not all chefs have a degree in their field. You can start working in the food industry without one. Some schools offer culinary diplomas or certificates that prepare you for entry-level positions. These programs tend to be shorter, less expensive, and less prestigious.

    Culinary arts college degrees are two-year associate’s degrees or four-year bachelor’s degrees. In addition to culinary-specific material, these may require you to complete core courses to meet graduation requirements at a larger school.

    Two-year programs are especially popular with culinary arts majors. They give students the foundations they need to launch their careers. In most cases, a student can also apply at least some of these credits toward a future bachelor’s degree.

    Bachelor’s degrees are better options for applicants interested in management positions or pursuing advanced techniques in a particular area. A bachelor’s degree can also increase a chef’s professional mobility or lead to opportunities in related fields.

    What Do You Learn as a Culinary Arts Major?

    As a culinary arts major, you’ll learn more than how to cook a meal. Depending on your program, you will likely study the following:

    • Basic knife skills
    • Food safety
    • Culinary math
    • Wine pairings and theory
    • Hospitality and customer service
    • The art of cooking for different diets
    • Menu composition
    • Formal cookery
    • Butchery
    • Inventory and sourcing
    • Desserts
    • Restaurant management and human resources
    • Global cuisines
    • Mixology
    • Breakfast, lunch, and brunch design
    • Marketing for the hospitality industry
    • Special skills in rotisserie, patisserie, or poissonerie

    In a full bachelor’s program, you should emerge with sound foundations in the hospitality industry, nutrition, technique, and artistry related to food enterprises. Some may even ground you in sustainable farming and service practices.

    What Determines Niche Ratings of Culinary Arts Programs?

    We rate the best colleges for culinary arts based on multiple aspects of the school, taking the following criteria into consideration:

    • Overall Niche grade of the school (30%)
    • Percent of the student body majoring in culinary arts (17.5%)
    • Number of Niche users interested in the program compared to its size (15%)
    • Acceptance rate (10%)
    • Student surveys (10%)
    • Student-faculty ratio (10%)
    • Number of graduates compared to the total number of U.S. graduates with a culinary degree each year (7.5%)

    But you want to find the best school for you, not just the best school according to . You can filter this list by several criteria.

    Then start comparing your top choices. Read student reviews and visit school websites. The application process can be stressful, but it can also be fun.

    You’ll soon be cooking something tasty at the school of your choice.