by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, culinary arts/chef training was the 168th most popular major nationwide with 9,052 degrees awarded. This represents a 10.6% reduction in culinary arts/chef training degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 10,007.
Our 2023 Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools ranking analyzes 109 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for culinary arts/chef training students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of culinary arts/chef training programs later in this article.
Monitoring assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action has been highlighted as one of the most essential skills for careers related to culinary arts/chef training. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. In addition to these basic culinary arts/chef training program qualifications, to serve in some culinary arts/chef training careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of culinary arts/chef training degrees. Culinary Arts/Chef Training programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest culinary arts/chef training degree you can get. Different culinary arts/chef training degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
An associate degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to culinary arts/chef training, with approximately 18.3% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for culinary arts/chef training workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 34.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 20.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 17.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 16.5% |
| Some College Courses | 9.4% |
See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in culinary arts/chef training have received.
The education level required is different depending on the culinary arts/chef training career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your culinary arts/chef training degree? Culinary Arts/Chef Training careers are expected to grow 10.6% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to culinary arts/chef training.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Cooks | 1,377,200 | 11.8% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Worker Supervisors | 1,024,500 | 9.3% |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 160,600 | 9.6% |
| Private Cooks | 26,300 | 5.2% |
| Cooks | 19,400 | 9.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for culinary arts/chef training graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for culinary arts/chef training graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers culinary arts/chef training grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $52,160 |
| Private Cooks | $41,240 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Worker Supervisors | $36,190 |
| Cooks | $30,360 |
| Restaurant Cooks | $27,580 |
With over 725 different culinary arts/chef training degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased culinary arts/chef training school rankings to help you with this.
Culinary Arts/Chef Training is one of 11 different types of Culinary Arts programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef | 4,322 |
| General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts | 3,156 |
| Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager | 1,380 |
| Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant | 801 |
| Other Culinary Arts & Related Services | 433 |
Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
