by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying 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. Read on to learn the essential details every restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager programs.
Across the country, restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager draws strong interest, with 1,343 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager Schools ranking analyzes these 110 schools to determine the best overall colleges for restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager programs later in this article.
Studies in Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager 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 | 142 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 552 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 43 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 606 |
People currently working in careers related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| 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% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager prepares you for a variety of career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager.
| 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% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager grads often go into.
| 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 |
With 110 different restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager school rankings to help you.
Students interested in restaurant, culinary, & catering management/manager, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
