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2023 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools
Finding the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree School for You
In 2021-2022, 22,075 people earned a degree or certificate in culinary arts, making the major the #11 most popular in the United States.
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 147 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Boulder to be the best school for culinary arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. Located in the midsize city of Boulder, Escoffier - Boulder is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Culinary Arts majors at Escoffier - Boulder take out an average of $15,323 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $224.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Culinary Institute of America helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best culinary arts schools in the United States. The Culinary Institute of America is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hyde Park.
The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at The Culinary Institute of America take out while working on their Associate Degree is $12,958. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $504, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. IUP is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Indiana.
Full Culinary Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Report
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Out of the 147 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Chippewa Valley Technical College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Johnson County Community College is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a large student population.
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Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the large city of Austin, Escoffier - Austin is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at Escoffier - Austin accumulate an average of around $16,342 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $144.
Full Culinary Arts at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin Report
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With a ranking of #7, Saint Paul College did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Saint Paul College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Saint Paul.
The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at Saint Paul College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,696.
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Cerritos College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Norwalk, Cerritos College is a public school with a large student population.
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University of Hawaii Maui College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the city of Kahului, UH Maui College is a public school with a small student population.
Full Culinary Arts at University of Hawaii Maui College Report
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National Louis University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, NLU is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from NLU carry an average student debtload of $13,165.
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Madison Area Technical College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a large student population.
On average, culinary arts graduates from Madison College take out $12,211 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Clover Park Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools list. Located in the small city of Lakewood, CPTC is a public college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #13, North Shore Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Danvers, North Shore Community College is a public college with a small student population.
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Des Moines Area Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from DMACC carry an average student debtload of $9,745.
Full Culinary Arts at Des Moines Area Community College Report
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Waukesha County Technical College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from WCTC carry an average student debtload of $20,902.
Full Culinary Arts at Waukesha County Technical College Report
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The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, culinary arts graduates from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College take out $14,784 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $423, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Culinary Arts at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College Report
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El Centro College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for culinary arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a very large student population.
Culinary Arts majors at El Centro College take out an average of $9,985 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #18, Pennsylvania College of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Penn College is a small public school located in the city of Williamsport.
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With a ranking of #19, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Cincinnati State is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Cincinnati.
On average, culinary arts graduates from Cincinnati State take out $10,789 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #20, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Charlotte, JWU Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, culinary arts graduates from JWU Charlotte carry an average student debtload of $16,236. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $348.
Full Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte Report
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With a ranking of #21, Kapiolani Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Honolulu, Kapiolani CC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, culinary arts majors at Kapiolani CC accumulate an average of around $11,265 in student debt.
Full Culinary Arts at Kapiolani Community College Report
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Baker College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in the town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Culinary Arts majors at Baker College take out an average of $13,531 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $205, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Here are some additional great schools for Culinary Arts students that almost earned our Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Sullivan University | Louisville, KY |
| 24 | Culinary Institute Inc | Houston, TX |
| 25 | Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 26 | School Removed | |
| 27 | Schoolcraft College | Livonia, MI |
| 28 | Johnson & Wales University - Providence | Providence, RI |
| 29 | Brookdale Community College | Lincroft, NJ |
Culinary Arts by Region
View the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Other U.S. Territories |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Culinary Arts
One of 4 majors within the trade school area of study, culinary arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Culinary Arts Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Culinary Arts/Chef Training | 10,546 |
| Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef | 5,029 |
| General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts | 3,303 |
| Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager | 1,394 |
| Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant | 786 |
| Other Culinary Arts & Related Services | 335 |
| Institutional Food Workers | 204 |
| Culinary Science/Culinology | 203 |
| Bartending/Bartender | 157 |
| Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, & Dining Room Management/Manager | 82 |
| Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter | 28 |
| Wine Steward/Sommelier | 8 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Culinary Arts
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cosmetology | 124,611 |
| Funeral & Mortuary Science | 2,186 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 385 |
| Other Personal & Culinary Services | 95 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to U.S. Army Europe Images.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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