There is really not a single source for identifying the best culinary schools, but there are several websites that rank cooking and baking schools using pre-established criteria. When you are searching for a culinary arts school, you must establish some criteria too in order to find the school that best fits your budget and lifestyle.
Finding the Best!
Culinary schools are ranked by several sources. Because there is no “official” listing, it is good to review more than one ranking so you get a good information for decision making. Some of the popular websites that publish rankings include the following:
Another good source of school listings are those schools accredited by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission or any of the 6 regional accrediting bodies. The 6 regions are represented by:
A third source of schools offering culinary programs providing excellent career preparation is the National Restaurant Association.
Accredited schools meet established high quality standards in course content and instruction. You have some assurance that your education will meet industry standards too, and you will be properly trained to work in a variety of careers.
Defining the Best
There are some schools that appear over and over again on ranking lists. These are the best culinary art schools according to multiple sources. They include:
The Culinary Institute of America
Le Cordon Bleu
Institute of Culinary Education
The School of Culinary Arts – Kendall College
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
L’Academie de Cuisine
The Art Institute
Johnson and Wales University
This is not a complete list of the best culinary art schools, and there are many other excellent programs. The criteria used to rank schools include:
Depth and breadth of course programming
Accreditation
Acceptance rate
Graduation rates
Class Size
Quality of instructional equipment
Industry recognition
Number and types of degrees offered
Faculty expertise and professionalism
As you can see there are many different factors considered when determining the quality of the culinary arts programs. But it is not just the schools quality that should be considered when choosing a program. You should also consider your personal needs to pick the best culinary school.
Does the School Fit Your Goals?
Before settling on a program, you will have to assess your personal needs and then balance them against the school factors. For example, if you need to attend a school within driving distance of home you will have to limit your choices right up front based on location.
You also want to make sure the programs offered fit your career goals. If you want to be a bakery chef then you need to attend a school that specifically offers a degree in baking and pastry arts. If you want to earn a Bachelor’s Degree than you would not consider schools that only offer Associate Degrees.
Choosing a culinary arts program is a big decision that requires a methodical approach. There are hundreds of excellent schools to consider so you want to spend time narrowing the list down to those that best meet your career goals and your lifestyle.
