by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 556 U.S. colleges awarded 25,836 degrees and certificates in Culinary Arts. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 35% of graduates. College Factual ranks 371 schools in its 2027 Best Culinary Arts Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $24,237 one year after completing, rising to $36,678 after four years.
Imagine yourself working in a bakery pulling a batch of fresh bread from the oven, or as a cook in a busy restaurant, preparing filet mignon, chicken parmesan or butternut squash soup. If you have a passion for food and love spending time in the kitchen, you may want to consider a major in Culinary Arts.
As a Culinary Arts student, you will learn everything you need to know to become a top chef. Along with classes in food science, nutrition, baking, menu planning, and garde manger, you will also study hospitality, facilities management, and business administration to give you the skills to cook, as well as manage a restaurant property.
Maybe you have a passion for a certain type of cooking? Don't worry, general Cooking and Related Culinary Arts is not the only specialization available to you. You can choose to concentrate in Baking and Pastry Arts, Bartending, Chef Training, Catering Management, Food Preparation, Meat Cutting, Food Service, Dining Room Management, Culinary Science, and Wine Stewardship/Sommelier.
A major in Culinary Arts covers Culinary Arts And Related Services.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, culinary arts is a popular field of study, with 25,836 degrees awarded annually. 556 colleges award culinary arts degrees, an average of 46 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 3,260.
By level, the 25,836 awards include 7,859 certificates, 8,093 associate degrees, 440 bachelor’s degrees and 9,145 master’s degrees.
Women earned 61% of culinary arts degrees and certificates in the latest year (15,706 of 25,836). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (9,446) and Hispanic or Latino (7,205), and international students earned 381.
College Factual ranks 371 schools in its 2027 Best Culinary Arts Schools ranking, including 201 for associate degrees and 6 for bachelor’s degrees. It also ranks culinary arts schools within 37 states. In all, 556 colleges offer culinary arts programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Culinary Arts Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common culinary arts credential is the master’s degree: 9,145 of the 25,836 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to culinary arts call most for Monitoring, Speaking and Coordination, and for knowledge of Customer and Personal Service, Food Production and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity and Oral Comprehension.
Chefs set the pace in the kitchen. This means leadership skills are mandatory. You must be prepared to oversee staff to ensure all meals are cooked efficiently and only the best quality meals leave the kitchen. Successful chefs are also creative and have strong time management skills. Good business skills are just as important as cooking skills for executive chefs.
Chefs often work full time with long hours both during the week and on weekends. Since executive chefs oversee food delivery, cooking and plan the menu, they can sometimes put in 12-hour workdays.
In order to become a head chef, you must work your way up. A part-time job as a line cook or dishwasher will expose you to the kitchen environment and allow you to pick up some skills from the other cooks. Training at a school and the following apprenticeship will refine these skills. Work experience along with advanced education will allow students to find jobs as executive chefs or head cooks. Although it's not necessary, certification by The American Culinary Federation may attract the attention of more employers.
This major is available as an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Depending on your career goals, an associate's degree along with work experience may be sufficient training. However, if you seek a more advanced position or want to run your own business, a Bachelor's may be helpful.
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How long a culinary arts degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 7,859 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 8,093 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 440 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 9,145 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to culinary arts, at 36.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 36.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 20.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 16.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 16.0% |
| Some college courses | 5.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 4.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
14 occupations are related to Culinary Arts, with an average median salary of $56,150; the strongest outlook belongs to Cooks, Private Household, at 13.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Cook, Culinary Specialist, Cooking Chef and Culinary Artist.
Graduates with a degree in Culinary Arts often work in restaurants, hotels, or as private chefs. Some have gone on to open their own restaurants and start their own catering services.
Jobs at high-end venues, such as restaurants, hotels, and casinos, will be extremely competitive since they are limited and the pay is greater.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to culinary arts, at 2,026,560.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Private Household | 2,026,560 | 13.9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,757,049 | 0.9% |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,329,217 | 12.5% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 863,163 | 5.6% |
| Bartenders | 586,986 | 12.2% |
| Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | 465,393 | 2.6% |
| Food Service Managers | 397,799 | 7.7% |
Culinary Arts graduates earn a median $24,237 one year after completing their program, $36,678 after four years and $32,093 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $24,237 |
| 4 years | $36,678 |
| 5 years | $32,093 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to culinary arts is Food Service Managers, with a median salary of $165,782.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | $165,782 |
| Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | $111,183 |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $68,967 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $55,930 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | $50,662 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $47,691 |
| Bakers | $41,467 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $41,438 |
Culinary Arts includes 12 concentrations that together award 25,836 degrees a year; by graduates, the largest are Culinary Arts/Chef Training (11,809), Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef (5,575) and Culinary Arts and Related Services (4,439). It has 4 similar majors in the Personal & Culinary Services field, which together award 136,627 degrees a year; the largest are Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (133,218), Funeral Service and Mortuary Science (2,646) and Casino Operations and Services (711). Browse all Personal & Culinary Services majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | 133,218 |
| Funeral Service and Mortuary Science | 2,646 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 711 |
| Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other | 52 |
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