Associate Degrees in Culinary Arts
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Education Levels of Culinary Arts Majors
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 6,800 students earned their associate degree in culinary arts. This makes it the 7th most popular associate degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in culinary arts at each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Undergraduate Certificate | 7,225 |
Associate Degree | 6,800 |
Basic Certificate | 5,326 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 433 |
Earnings of Culinary Arts Majors With Associate Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding an associate degree in culinary arts is $25,852. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $23,506 to a high of $27,765.

Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding an associate degree in culinary arts is $17,500. The length of time it takes you to graduate and what college you attend can affect this number quite a bit. The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $21,780 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $12,875.

Those students who are paying back their debt on a 10-year repayment plan have a median monthly payment of $266.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their associate degree in culinary arts. About 59.4% of graduates with this degree are female.
Gender | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Men | 2,764 |
Women | 4,036 |

The racial-ethnic distribution of culinary arts associate degree students is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 356 |
Black or African American | 1,208 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,331 |
White | 3,013 |
International Students | 267 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 625 |

Most Popular Culinary Arts Programs for Associate Degrees
There are 426 colleges that offer an associate degree in culinary arts. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
The most popular school in the United States for culinary arts students seekingan associate degree is Culinary Institute of America. Roughly 3,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $32,800 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $20,510 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 665 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute of America. Around 36% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 47% were women.
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Boulder is the 2nd most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 7,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 388 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from Escoffier - Boulder. Of these students, 53% were women and 46% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Johnson & Wales University - Providence comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in culinary arts. Each year, around 5,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $35,750 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,706 per year. The culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University - Providence awarded 293 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 31% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 70% were women.
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in culinary arts. Each year, around 600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 224 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at Escoffier - Austin. Around 53% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 50% were women.
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in culinary arts. Each year, around 1,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $35,750 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,706 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 206 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from JWU Charlotte. About 70% of this group were women, and 56% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 6th most popular school in the country for culinary arts majors who are seeking their associate degree is ECPI University. Roughly 14,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,424 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,960 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 136 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at ECPI University. About 55% of this group were women, and 52% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Sullivan University is the 7th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 3,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,500 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,840 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 80 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from Sullivan University. Of these students, 61% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Stratford University is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 1,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,980 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,368 per year. The culinary arts program at Stratford University awarded 70 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 79% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 54% were women.
Miami Dade College is the 9th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 46,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 64 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at MDC. Of these students, 55% were women and 80% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is the 10th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 20,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $20,800 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $29,632 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 58 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. Around 33% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 53% were women.
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in culinary arts. Each year, around 100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 58 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Of these students, 79% were women and 50% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Pikes Peak Community College is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Roughly 12,500 attend the school each year. The culinary arts program at Pikes Peak Community College awarded 56 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 86% were women and 30% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Valencia College is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Roughly 45,900 attend the school each year. The culinary arts program at Valencia College awarded 55 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 45% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 80% were women.
Culinary Institute Inc is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 55 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from Culinary Institute LeNotre. About 51% of this group were women, and 80% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Kapiolani Community College is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in culinary arts. Each year, around 6,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 54 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at Kapiolani CC. Of these students, 54% were women and 85% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 16th most popular school in the country for culinary arts majors who are seeking their associate degree is Niagara County Community College. Roughly 4,300 attend the school each year. The culinary arts program at Niagara County Community College awarded 53 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 34% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 64% were women.
The 16th most popular school in the country for culinary arts majors who are seeking their associate degree is Louisiana Culinary Institute. Each year, around 100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 53 associate degrees were handed out to culinary arts majors at Louisiana Culinary Institute. Of these students, 62% were women and 57% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 18th most popular school in the country for culinary arts majors who are seeking their associate degree is City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College. Each year, around 1,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 51 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from Kennedy-King College. Around 98% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 69% were women.
Helms College comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in culinary arts. Each year, around 200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 50 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from Helms College. About 64% of this group were women, and 70% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 20th most popular school in the country for culinary arts majors who are seeking their associate degree is College of Southern Nevada. Roughly 29,900 attend the school each year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 46 people received their associate degree in culinary arts from CSN. About 70% of this group were women, and 63% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Culinary Arts Focus Areas
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Chef Training | 3,941 |
Baking & Pastry Arts | 1,253 |
General Cooking & Culinary Arts | 831 |
Restaurant & Catering Management | 627 |
Other Culinary Arts | 78 |
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to culinary arts that offer associate degrees.
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Funeral & Mortuary Science | 1,541 |
Cosmetology | 1,173 |
Other Personal & Culinary Services | 1 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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