Culinary Arts/Chef Training

CIP Code: 12.0503

A culinary arts/chef training degree prepares graduates for careers in Chefs and head cooks, Cooks, private household, First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers and more. 349 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded
11,194
Colleges Offering 349
Avg. Career Salary $44,114
Top Career Salary $60,990

What Can You Do With a Culinary Arts/Chef Training Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Chefs and head cooks

$60,990 +7.1% growth

Cooks, private household

$44,530 +5.1% growth

First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

$42,010 +6.0% growth

Cooks, restaurant

$36,830 +14.9% growth

Cooks, all other

$36,210 +5.5% growth
$44,114
Average Salary Across Careers
$60,990
Highest Paying Career
5
Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in culinary arts/chef training.

# College Location Degrees Awarded Repit Grade
1 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC 284 C+
2 Lake Land College Mattoon, IL 178 C+
3 Dallas College Dallas, TX 113 C+
4 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH 93 C+
5 Valencia College Orlando, FL 91 C+
6 Orange Technical College-South Campus Orlando, FL 82 C+
7 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH 80 C+
8 Miami Dade College Miami, FL 64 C+
9 Odessa College Odessa, TX 64 C+
10 Monroe College Bronx, NY 59 C+
11 South Plains College Levelland, TX 57 C+
12 Davis Technical College Kaysville, UT 54 C+
13 Mountainland Technical College Lehi, UT 50 C+
14 Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater Clearwater, FL 48 C+
15 Louisiana Culinary Institute Baton Rouge, LA 47 C+
16 Orange Technical College-West Campus Winter Garden, FL 41 C+
17 Utah Valley University Orem, UT 41 C+
18 Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA 38 C+
19 Houston Community College Houston, TX 38 C+
20 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA 37 C+
21 Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA 36 C+
22 West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY 35 C+
23 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL 35 C+
24 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX 34 C+
25 College of Lake County Grayslake, IL 33 C+
26 Texas State Technical College Waco, TX 33 C+
27 Pensacola State College Pensacola, FL 33 C+
28 Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland, KY 31 C+
29 Elgin Community College Elgin, IL 29 C+
30 Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO 29 C+

Largest Culinary Arts/Chef Training Programs

Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most culinary arts/chef training graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.

# College Location Degrees Awarded Repit Grade
1 Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder, CO 1,922 D
2 Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY 444 C
3 Institute of Culinary Education New York, NY 406 C
4 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC 284 C+
5 Institute of Culinary Education Pasadena, CA 229 C
6 Lake Land College Mattoon, IL 178 C+
7 Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI 170 C
8 Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Austin Austin, TX 152 C
9 Arizona Culinary Institute Scottsdale, AZ 127 C
10 Trident Technical College Charleston, SC 115 C
11 Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC 114 C
12 Dallas College Dallas, TX 113 C+
13 Texarkana College Texarkana, TX 113 C
14 South Louisiana Community College Lafayette, LA 101 C
15 SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA 98 C
16 Lee College Baytown, TX 94 C
17 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH 93 C+
18 Valencia College Orlando, FL 91 C+
19 Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC 87 C
20 Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC 84 C
21 National Louis University Chicago, IL 84 C
22 Orange Technical College-South Campus Orlando, FL 82 C+
23 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH 80 C+
24 City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Chicago, IL 80 C
25 St Philip's College San Antonio, TX 75 C
26 ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA 75 C
27 Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ 74 C
28 University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College North Little Rock, AR 71 C
29 Helms College Augusta, GA 69 C
30 Nunez Community College Chalmette, LA 69 D
11,194
Degrees Awarded Annually
349
Colleges Offering Program
5
Related Careers

About Culinary Arts/Chef Training

Culinary Arts/Chef Training is a degree program offered at 349 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 11,194 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as chefs and head cooks, cooks, private household, first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, cooks, restaurant, cooks, all other.

Program Classification

CIP Code 12.0503
Field (2-digit CIP) 12
Category (4-digit CIP) 12.05

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Culinary Arts/Chef Training degree?
A Culinary Arts/Chef Training degree can lead to careers as a chefs and head cooks, cooks, private household, first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, cooks, restaurant, cooks, all other, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $60,990 annually.
How many colleges offer Culinary Arts/Chef Training?
349 colleges and universities in the United States offer Culinary Arts/Chef Training as a degree program. Each year, approximately 11,194 students graduate with this degree.
What are the best colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training?
The best colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training based on Repit's ratings include Central Piedmont Community College, Lake Land College, Dallas College, Cuyahoga Community College District, Valencia College. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.
What is the salary potential with a Culinary Arts/Chef Training degree?
Graduates with a Culinary Arts/Chef Training degree can expect average salaries around $44,114 in related careers, with top earners making up to $60,990. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.