by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you are a people person and enjoy helping others look and feel their best, a career in Personal and Culinary Services is right for you.
In personal services, you will be able to get a degree in areas such as Cosmetology which allows you to practice creativity and expertise as you perfect someone's hair or makeup. A major in Culinary Arts allows you to explore your passion for food and cooking to work in the kitchen as an assistant or top chef. A degree in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science will allow you to meet people's needs in a very emotional time. No matter what occupation you decide to purse, a career in Personal and Culinary Services will give you the opportunity to serve others while following your passion.
Many of these degrees are offered as an Associate's, although some college have Bachelor's programs associated with them.
Personal & Culinary Services was the 31st most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 149,352 degrees in this year alone. This year's Best Personal & Culinary Services Schools ranking compares 125 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom personal & culinary services rankings further below.
Any career in personal services requires strong interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills. It is also important to be able to work in a team and swiftly meet your client's needs. Personal and Culinary Services graduates often have management roles within their companies requiring them to work with other managers or assign tasks to colleagues. The background in business also makes graduates stand out to employers.
Some careers within Personal and Culinary Services require a state-specific license. Be sure to check with the state you want to work in to ensure you are fulfilling all requirements to obtain the license. These programs also require apprenticeships that can last between 1 - 3 years. These careers are experience based making a summer job or internship beneficial to current students.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. In addition to these basic personal & culinary services program qualifications, to serve in some personal & culinary services careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
Personal & Culinary Services degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in personal & culinary services to something that takes less time like a . Different personal & culinary services degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
An associate degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to personal & culinary services, with approximately 14.8% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for personal & culinary services workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 30.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 21.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 14.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 13.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 11.0% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in personal & culinary services careers have.
This of course varies depending on which personal & culinary services career you choose.
Personal services are always needed in our society. Graduates of this field of study become funeral directors, embalmers, hair stylists, makeup artists, masseuses, chefs, restaurant or hotel managers and any other occupation that involves hospitality or service.
Jobs in personal services tend to grow at a steady rate that is about average when compared to other jobs. Personal services are convenient and necessary, meaning they are in demand even in a bad economy.
Want a job when you graduate with your personal & culinary services degree? Personal & Culinary Services careers are expected to grow 9.2% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to personal & culinary services.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Cooks | 1,377,200 | 11.8% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Worker Supervisors | 1,024,500 | 9.3% |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | 697,400 | 13.0% |
| Bartenders | 626,300 | 2.5% |
| Institution and Cafeteria Cooks | 457,400 | 7.7% |
Recently graduated personal & culinary services students earned an average of $17,703 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $4,506 to as high as $60,367. As you might expect, salaries for personal & culinary services graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for personal & culinary services graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers personal & culinary services grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Funeral Service Managers | $93,820 |
| Professors | $76,990 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $72,570 |
| Makeup Artists | $72,030 |
| Food Service Managers | $58,960 |
With over 6,791 different personal & culinary services degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased personal & culinary services school rankings to help you with this.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cosmetology | 124,611 |
| Culinary Arts | 22,075 |
| Funeral & Mortuary Science | 2,186 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 385 |
| Other Personal & Culinary Services | 95 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanic & Repair Technologies | 105,741 |
| Precision Production | 55,411 |
| Construction Trades | 40,802 |
| Transportation & Materials Moving | 33,306 |
Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
