by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 115 U.S. colleges awarded 1,663 degrees and certificates in Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 47% of graduates. College Factual ranks 47 schools in its 2027 Best Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager 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.
Studying Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager involves the study of Restaurant, Culinary, And Catering Management/manager. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Plan, Supervise, And Manage Food And Beverage Preparation And Service Operations, Restaurant Facilities, And Catering Services. Includes Instruction In Food/beverage Industry Operations, Cost Control, Purchasing And Storage, Business Administration, Logistics, Personnel Management, Culinary Arts, Restaurant And Menu Planning, Executive Chef Functions, Event Planning And Management, Health And Safety, Insurance, And Applicable Law And Regulations.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager draws strong interest, with 1,663 degrees awarded annually. 115 colleges award restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager degrees, an average of 14 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 103.
By level, the 1,663 awards include 152 certificates, 670 associate degrees, 67 bachelor’s degrees and 774 master’s degrees.
Women earned 59% of restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager degrees and certificates in the latest year (977 of 1,663). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (562) and Hispanic or Latino (501), and international students earned 39.
College Factual ranks 47 schools in its 2027 Best Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager Schools ranking, including 28 for associate degrees and 2 for bachelor’s degrees. It also ranks restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager schools within 9 states. In all, 115 colleges offer restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager credential is the master’s degree: 774 of the 1,663 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager call most for Monitoring, Coordination and Speaking, and for knowledge of Customer and Personal Service, Food Production and Administration and Management, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 152 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 670 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 67 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 774 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager, at 33.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 33.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 23.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 22.0% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 13.4% |
| Some college courses | 4.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
4 occupations are related to Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager, with an average median salary of $68,346; the strongest outlook belongs to Cooks, Private Household, at 13.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Cook, Cooking Chef, Culinary Artist and Personal Chef.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager, at 2,026,560.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Private Household | 2,026,560 | 13.9% |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,329,217 | 12.5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 863,163 | 5.6% |
| Food Service Managers | 397,799 | 7.7% |
Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager 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 restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager is Food Service Managers, with a median salary of $165,782.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | $165,782 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $37,104 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $35,292 |
| Cooks, Private Household | $35,204 |
Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager has 11 similar majors in the Personal & Culinary Services field, which together award 24,173 degrees a year; 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). Browse all Personal & Culinary Services majors or the full list of college majors.
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