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Culinary and Cooking Schools Directory
Do some research into potential programs
There is no industry standard for obtaining a culinary education. For that matter there is also no requirement for graduates to obtain licenses or become certified. That doesn't mean you should choose the first school you come across or the one that offers the cheapest program.
If you want to be part of a desirable kitchen and work your way up to a management job, your chosen education can either pave the way or stop you in your tracks. Employers will see what you've been trained in and decide if your experience is enough for a job in their establishment.
Questions to consider
- Do you prefer working with desserts and sweets? Enter a program that focuses on those kinds of baking.
- Do you aspire to work in a four-star establishment or other upscale eatery or institution? It will take a degree in culinary arts to get you there.
- Would you rather take direction or manage others? If you want to reach an executive chef position you'll need training in business and management.
- Are there internship or other work opportunities? Some schools offer onsite student kitchens, while others arrange for students to complete work terms at local eating establishments, bakeries or institutional kitchens.
- Where is the school located? The city you attend school in will have a big impact on the kind of internships or part-time jobs you'll be able to apply for. If you want to work in a certain type of restaurant or bakery it's a good idea to see if there are any in the area where you'll be attending classes. Some programs will offer part of their curriculum online, so you may also be able to complete internships or hold a part-time job in your hometown.
Find out about the instructors at the culinary schools you're interested in, particularly what their credentials are (where they have worked, if they are respected in the industry) and if they or their students have won any awards or competitions.
It's also a good idea to inquire about a school's job placement rates and where graduates find jobs.
Chef and baker certification
The American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission (AFC), the largest professional chef organization in North America, offers 14 levels of certification that can test your abilities as a chef or baker.
Employers at higher-end establishments may look favorably upon applicants who have shown the drive to become certified. Tests from entry-level to master can be taken by culinary school graduates who meet certain requirements, which can include work experience, extent of training or completion of previous certification levels.
Other organizations offer certification in food safety and handling, which employers may require.
Commercial chefs
- Certified culinarian (CC)
- Certified sous chef (CSC)
- Certified chef de cuisine (CCC)
- Certified executive chef (CEC)
- Certified master chef (CMC)
- Personal certified chef (PCC)
- Personal certified executive chef (PCEC)
- Certified pastry culinarian (CPC)
- Certified working pastry culinarian (CWPC)
- Certified executive pastry culinarian (CEPC)
- Certified master pastry chef (CMPC)
- Certified culinary administrator (CCA)
The US Northeast
International College of Hospitality Management 
Located in Suffield, Connecticut, International College of Hospitality accepts students from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, offering Culinary and Hotel & Restaurant Management curricula.
Arizona
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including locations in both Phoenix and Tucson.
Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Scottsdale, AZ
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
California
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including the following in California:
Los Angeles - The Art Institute of California
Sacramento - The Art Institute of California - Sacramento
San Bernardino - The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire
San Diego - The Art Institute of California - San Diego
San Francisco - The Art Institute of California - San Francisco
Santa Ana - The Art Institute of California - Orange County
Santa Monica - The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles
Sunnyvale - The Art Institute of California - Sunnyvale
California School of Culinary Arts, Pasadena
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs are structured so that students are exposed to a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Other California campuses:
California Culinary Academy, San Francisco
The Culinary Institute of America at Ste. Helena, CA
This campus offers an array of food- and wine-related programs for foodservice professionals, career changers, food enthusiasts, and aspiring culinarians, with the legendary Napa Valley as the backdrop.
Colorado
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including one in Denver.
Connecticut
International College of Hospitality Management
Located in Suffield, Connecticut, International College of Hospitality accepts students from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, offering Culinary and Hotel & Restaurant Management curricula.
Lincoln Technical Institute - Cromwell
Located in Cromwell, Connecticut, offering Culinary curricula.
See also:
Lincoln Technical Institute - Shelton
Florida
Florida Culinary Institute - A Division of Lincoln College of Technology
Situated in West Palm Beach, the Florida Culinary Institute offers Culinary training.
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa, Florida.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami, Miramar, FL
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Other Florida campuses:
Orlando Culinary Academy, Orlando
Keiser University - Sarasota
Located in Sarasota, Florida, Keiser offers various curricula including Culinary.
See also:
Keiser University - Tallahassee
Georgia
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including Atlanta and DeCatur.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Atlanta, Tucker
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs give students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Illinois
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including Chicago and Schaumburg.
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs are structured so that students are exposed to a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
L'Ecole Culinaire
The Riverworks Campus is located on Chicago’s Goose Island in a stately 100-year-old building that was most recently used by Sara Lee Corporation as a worldwide research facility.
Indiana
The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including one in Indianapolis.
Indiana Business College - Indianapolis Northwest Campus
Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, offering various curricula.
Maryland
Lincoln Technical Institute - Columbia
Located in Columbia, Maryland, offering various curricula including Culinary.
Massachusetts
The New England Institute of Art - Boston, MA
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Boston - Cambridge
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs are structured so that students are exposed to a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Michigan
The Art Institute of Michigan - Detroit
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Minnesota
The Art Institutes International Minnesota
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States including this one.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Minneapolis/St. Paul
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Missouri
L'Ecole Culinaire
Located in St. Louis, offering Culinary and Restaurant curricula.
Nevada
The Art Institute of Las Vegas
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Las Vegas
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
New York
The Art Institute of New York City
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY
This is the main campus of this prestigious school.
North Carolina
Charlotte, - The Art Institute of Charlotte
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Ohio
The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Oregon
The Art Institute of Portland
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Western Culinary Institute, Portland, OR
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Pennsylvania
Keystone Technical Institute
Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offering Education & Childcare, Culinary, Dental, Medical & Healthcare, Legal & Paralegal, Massage Therapy and Office Professional curricula.
YTI Career Institute - Lancaster
Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, offering Criminal Justice, Culinary, Restaurant and other curricula.
The Art Institute
The Art Institutes have three locations in Pennsylvania:
Philadelphia - The Art Institute of Philadelphia
Pittsburgh - The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
York - The Art Institute of York
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
South Carolina
The Art Institute of Charleston
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States, including this one in Charleston, SC.
Tennessee
The Art Institute of Tennessee in Nashville
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Texas
The Art Institute
The Art Institutes have three locations in Texas, including:
The Art Institute of Austin
The Art Institute of Dallas
The Art Institute of Houston
Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts - Dallas, Dallas, TX
Our Le Cordon Bleu Programs offer students a diversified education in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking and Hospitality & Restaurant Management with a perfect blend of general education classes to broaden their awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and values to be successful.
Other campuses in Texas:
Texas Culinary Academy, Austin
Utah
The Art Institute of Salt Lake City
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
Virginia
The Art Institute of Washington
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States, including this one in Arlington, VA.
Washington
The Art Institute of Seattle
The Art Institutes have over 40 locations across the United States.
