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Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region

47 Colleges
$25,389 Avg Salary
$15,195 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, culinary arts was ranked #11 in the country. In fact 22,075 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2021-2022.

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 47 schools in the Southeast Region 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 Southeast Region

Check out the culinary arts associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte to be the best school for culinary arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southeast Region . JWU Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charlotte.

On average, culinary arts graduates from JWU Charlotte take out $16,236 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $348.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte

#2

Sullivan University

Louisville, KY

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Sullivan University is a great place for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Louisville, Sullivan University is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that culinary arts majors at Sullivan University take out while working on their Associate Degree is $14,715. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $320.

Full Culinary Arts at Sullivan University Report

#4

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL

The excellent associate degree programs at Miami Dade College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best culinary arts schools in the Southeast Region . MDC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Miami.

Culinary Arts majors at MDC take out an average of $15,167 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Miami Dade College

#5

Gwinnett Technical College

Lawrenceville, GA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gwinnett Technical College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. GTC is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville.

Full Culinary Arts at Gwinnett Technical College Report

Wake Technical Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Culinary Arts majors at Wake Technical Community College take out an average of $20,302 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Wake Technical Community College

Central Piedmont Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.

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AI Miami International University of Art and Design landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. International Fine Arts College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Miami.

On average, culinary arts graduates from International Fine Arts College take out $19,726 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $213.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at AI Miami International University of Art and Design

Athens Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree culinary arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Athens, Athens Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Full Culinary Arts at Athens Technical College Report

#10

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, FL

With a ranking of #10, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Culinary Arts majors at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale take out an average of $20,082 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $271.

Full Culinary Arts at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Report

Best Culinary Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best culinary arts schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 864
South Carolina 215
Arkansas 283
North Carolina 811
Florida 1,298
West Virginia 59
Louisiana 367
Virginia 357
Alabama 94
Kentucky 359
Tennessee 104
Mississippi 320

Culinary Arts is one of 4 different types of trade school programs to choose from.

Culinary Arts Concentrations

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

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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