College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training

282 Ranked Colleges
3,941 Degrees Awarded
$30,000 Avg Cost*
Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Culinary Arts/Chef Training is the 168th most popular major in the country with 9,052 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 3,941 culinary arts/chef training graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,806 and $19,336 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major” ranking analyzed 282 colleges that offered a degree in culinary arts/chef training. That schools that top this list have a program in culinary arts/chef training in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Culinary Arts/Chef Training Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree culinary arts/chef training students.

Top 25 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Culinary Arts/Chef Training

1
Louisiana Culinary Institute crest
Louisiana Culinary Institute
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Out of the 282 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Louisiana Culinary Institute landed the #1 spot on the list. Louisiana Culinary Institute is a small private for-profit school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 53 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Louisiana Culinary Institute

2

Out of the 282 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 162 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Escoffier - Austin

3
The Culinary Institute of America crest
Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Culinary Institute of America. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major. Culinary Institute of America is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hyde Park, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 464 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Culinary Institute of America

4

Out of the 282 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 26 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

5
JWU Charlotte crest
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

Out of the 282 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte landed the #5 spot on the list. JWU Charlotte is a small school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 136 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

6
Helms College crest
Helms College
Macon, Georgia

With a ranking of #6, Helms College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Helms College is a small school located in Macon, Georgia that handed out 50 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Helms College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

7

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Boulder landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 360 degrees to qualified associates’s culinary arts/chef training students in 2020-2021.

Full Escoffier - Boulder Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

8
CTI crest
Commonwealth Technical Institute
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Commonwealth Technical Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking, coming in at #8. Commonwealth Technical Institute is a small school located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full CTI Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

9

The Art Institute of Atlanta landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. The Art Institute of Atlanta is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at The Art Institute of Atlanta

10

With a ranking of #10, The Art Institute of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. The Art Institute of Houston is a private for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Ai Houston

11

Johnson & Wales University - Providence came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. Johnson & Wales University - Providence is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 138 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at JWU Providence

12

With a ranking of #12, SUNY Schenectady County Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. SUNY Schenectady County Community College is a small public school situated in Schenectady, New York. It awarded 38 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at SUNY Schenectady County Community College

13

With a ranking of #13, H Councill Trenholm State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Trenholm State is a small school located in Montgomery, Alabama that handed out 20 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at H Councill Trenholm State Community College

14

The Art Institute of San Antonio landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified associates’s culinary arts/chef training students in 2020-2021.

Full The Art Institute of San Antonio Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

15
GCC crest
Guam Community College
Mangilao, <nil>

Guam Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Guam Community College is a small school located in Mangilao, that handed out 23 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full GCC Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

16

With a ranking of #16, The Art Institute of Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. The Art Institute of Dallas is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Culinary Arts/Chef Training at The Art Institute of Dallas

17

The Art Institute of Austin came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. Ai Austin is a small private for-profit school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 4 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Ai Austin

18
Sullivan University crest
Sullivan University
Louisville, Kentucky

Sullivan University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Sullivan University is a private for-profit institution located in Louisville, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Sullivan University

19

City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Kennedy-King College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

20
Pittsburgh Technical College crest
Pittsburgh Technical College
Oakdale, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Technical College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. This small school is located in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Pittsburgh Technical College Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

21
Eastwick College - Hackensack crest
Eastwick College - Hackensack
Hackensack, New Jersey

With a ranking of #21, Eastwick College - Hackensack did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Eastwick College - Hackensack is a private for-profit institution located in Hackensack, New Jersey. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Eastwick College - Hackensack

22

AI Miami International University of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking, coming in at #22. International Fine Arts College is a small private for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 8 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at International Fine Arts College

23

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. This small school is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and it awarded 24 associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Culinary Arts/Chef Training Report

24
Hocking Technical College crest
Hocking College
Nelsonville, Ohio

Hocking College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major list. Nelsonville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s culinary arts/chef training degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Culinary Arts/Chef Training at Hocking Technical College

25
SUNY Sullivan crest
Sullivan County Community College
Loch Sheldrake, New York

Sullivan County Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major ranking. SUNY Sullivan is a public institution located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Culinary Arts/Chef Training at SUNY Sullivan

Rest of the Best 43 in Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Culinary Arts/Chef Training Major

Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
SUNY Adirondack crest
Adirondack Community College
Queensbury, New York
27
Schoolcraft College crest
Schoolcraft College
Livonia, Michigan
28
29
Atlantic Cape Community College crest
Atlantic Cape Community College
Mays Landing, New Jersey
30
White Mountains Community College crest
White Mountains Community College
Berlin, New Hampshire
31
Livingstone College crest
Livingstone College
Salisbury, North Carolina
32
33
HCCC crest
Hudson County Community College
Jersey City, New Jersey
34
South Seattle crest
South Seattle College
Seattle, Washington
35
36
37
38
St. Augustine College crest
Saint Augustine College
Chicago, Illinois
39
40
ECPI University crest
ECPI University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
41
Lakes Region Community College crest
Lakes Region Community College
Laconia, New Hampshire
42
UNE crest
Universidad del Este
Carolina, <nil>
43
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, South Carolina

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options