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Culinary arts


What are culinary arts majors?

Culinary arts programs will prepare you to provide professional chef and related cooking services in restaurants and other commercial food establishments. The coursework typically combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience in the kitchen. As a culinary arts student, you’ll learn about topics such as food safety, nutrition and menu planning. You’ll also get practice in cooking techniques, knife skills and food presentation.

How much do culinary arts majors make?

Culinary arts graduates typically make between $30,000 and $70,000 per year. The national average of reported salaries for culinary arts degrees is $46,100.
Culinary arts majorsAverage salarySalary
Culinary arts and food service$46,100
Baking and pastry artsNo data
Restaurant and food services managementNo data

Popular culinary arts majors by degrees awarded

On average, around 13,300 students obtain a bachelor's degree or associate degree in all culinary arts fields each year. In 2021, the most popular major within culinary arts was culinary arts and food service with 293 students obtaining a bachelor's degree and 4,920 students obtaining an associate degree. The least popular major was baking and pastry arts with 42 students obtaining a bachelor's degree and 1,253 students obtaining an associate degree. Overall, culinary arts is a relatively uncommon area of study.