by our College Data Analytics TeamImagine 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. Read on to learn the important information every culinary arts major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering culinary arts programs.
Nationwide, culinary arts is a popular field of study, with 24,487 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Culinary Arts Schools ranking analyzes these 556 schools to determine the best overall colleges for culinary arts students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of culinary arts programs later in this article.
Programs in Culinary Arts emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations culinary arts graduates commonly enter.
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.
Skills built by a culinary arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a culinary arts major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several culinary arts degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 7,618 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 8,114 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 451 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 8,060 |
People currently working in careers related to culinary arts tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| 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% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in culinary arts careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
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.
Studying culinary arts opens doors to numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to culinary arts.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to culinary arts.
| 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% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of culinary arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $24,617 |
| 4 years | $29,033 |
| 5 years | $32,264 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for culinary arts graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers culinary arts grads often go into.
| 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 |
With 556 different culinary arts programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased culinary arts school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in culinary arts, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | 136,936 |
| Funeral Service and Mortuary Science | 2,676 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 564 |
| Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other | 101 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
