by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts explores Cooking And Related Culinary Arts, General. A Program That Focuses On The General Study Of The Cooking And Related Culinary Arts, And That May Prepare Individuals For A Variety Of Jobs Within The Food Service Industry. Includes Instruction In Food Preparation, Cooking Techniques, Equipment Operation And Maintenance, Sanitation And Safety, Communication Skills, Applicable Regulations, And Principles Of Food Service Management. Examples: [Cook]. Continue reading for the key facts every general cooking & related culinary arts student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering general cooking & related culinary arts programs.
In the U.S., general cooking & related culinary arts is a popular field of study, with 4,165 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts Schools ranking analyzes these 145 schools to determine the best overall colleges for general cooking & related culinary arts students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of general cooking & related culinary arts programs later in this article.
Programs in General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations general cooking & related culinary arts graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a general cooking & related culinary arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a general cooking & related culinary arts major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several general cooking & related 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 | 1,673 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 868 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,529 |
People currently working in careers related to general cooking & related culinary arts tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 44.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 20.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 20.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 6.5% |
| Some college courses | 5.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3.0% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in general cooking & related culinary arts careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in general cooking & related culinary arts can lead to a variety of career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to general cooking & related culinary arts.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general cooking & related culinary arts.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,757,049 | 0.9% |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,329,217 | 12.5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 863,163 | 5.6% |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 395,624 | 0.1% |
| Cooks, All Other | 304,257 | 4.4% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of general cooking & related 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 general cooking & related culinary arts graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers general cooking & related culinary arts grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $41,438 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $37,104 |
| Cooks, All Other | $36,782 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $35,292 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $30,453 |
With 145 different general cooking & related culinary arts programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased general cooking & related culinary arts school rankings to help you.
Students interested in general cooking & related culinary arts, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
