Our website is designed as a convenient overview of what to expect while you are searching for the right culinary college and what to expect upon starting your culinary career.

A culinary arts college education is a major step to a career that has become extremely popular in recent years. With so much information in the media featuring good cuisine and the preparation required in the presentation of wonderful dining experiences, many prospective chefs are looking at the culinary field as a life time profession. Even if you consider yourself a great cook, you will probably not be able to go right out and land a job as an executive chef, you will require some education and quite often some experience in the culinary arts.

This website is designed to help you, the prospective chef, with information that you will need in making the right decisions regarding the different culinary arts colleges and helping you to find the correct one. If you are going to earn a degree in culinary arts you will find that there are many cooking schools and academies available to you throughout the country. Most degreed curriculums are basically the same, with the major differences being in the quality of the faculty and the reputation that the school has with the various managers in the food industry that do the actual hiring.

Finding the right cooking school for your specific needs will require some research. Fortunately, the internet makes this task quite easy. Create a file about as many schools that interest you and request pertinent information from their websites.

Things to consider in choosing your school.   

What do you want out of school? A broad program that offers a culinary degree or a culinary diploma? A diploma usually entails general courses such as math, English and history that you may already have taken if you have some college background.

Cost and location of the school. Culinary arts colleges are generally private institutions and are not inexpensive, so if this is the type of program that will satisfy your career goals, it may be well worth the expense. A culinary arts college or even a community college in your local area may be the best school to attend if cost is a consideration.

Does the institute offer placement services during training or after graduation?

What items will you have to supply in addition to texts and scholastic supplies? Items such as cutlery, slip resistant shoes and uniforms will be required.

Length of the program.  Are you looking for a degree that will provide a well rounded education and provide access to executive positions or an associate degree that provides a basis for more advanced education? Another option is a certificate program which will require a short period of intensive training.

The background of the faculty should be of importance to you. A well known chef can be an inspiration to you and will add credibility to the school.

Does the school have some sort of financial aid or scholarship program?

Is the program certified by the American Culinary Federation? This will be important if you wish to transfer credits.

Do you want to specialize in a particular facet of food preparation, baking, ethnic cuisines, management or other aspects of the restaurant industry?