by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Culinary Arts/Chef Training involves the study of Culinary Arts/chef Training. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Provide Professional Chef And Related Cooking Services In Restaurants And Other Commercial Food Establishments. Includes Instruction In Recipe And Menu Planning, Preparing And Cooking Of Foods, Supervising And Training Kitchen Assistants, The Management Of Food Supplies And Kitchen Resources, Aesthetics Of Food Presentation, And Familiarity Or Mastery Of A Wide Variety Of Cuisines And Culinary Techniques. Continue reading for the key facts every culinary arts/chef training student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering culinary arts/chef training programs.
In the U.S., culinary arts/chef training is a widely-pursued major, with 11,194 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Culinary Arts/Chef Training Schools ranking analyzes these 349 schools to determine the best overall colleges for culinary arts/chef training students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of culinary arts/chef training programs later in this article.
Studies in Culinary Arts/Chef Training emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations culinary arts/chef training graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a culinary arts/chef training program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a culinary arts/chef training major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several culinary arts/chef training 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 | 3,030 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 4,543 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 183 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 3,406 |
People currently working in careers related to culinary arts/chef training tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 37.8% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 19.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 19.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 16.3% |
| Some college courses | 5.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 1.8% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in culinary arts/chef training careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in culinary arts/chef training can lead to many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to culinary arts/chef training.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to culinary arts/chef training.
| 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% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 863,163 | 5.6% |
| Cooks, All Other | 304,257 | 4.4% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of culinary arts/chef training 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/chef training graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers culinary arts/chef training 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, Private Household | $35,204 |
With 349 different culinary arts/chef training programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased culinary arts/chef training school rankings to help you.
Students interested in culinary arts/chef training, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
