by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 19,806 people earned their degree in culinary arts, making the major the 97th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, culinary arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $24,855 and had an average of $17,765 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 445 colleges that offer a degree in culinary arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular culinary arts programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for culinary arts students.
Out of the 445 schools in the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Culinary Institute of America landed the #1 spot on the list. The Culinary Institute of America is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hyde Park, New York. It awarded 766 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johnson & Wales University - Providence. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s culinary arts degrees to 403 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University - Providence
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Boulder. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Escoffier - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,419 ’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
Out of the 445 schools in the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin landed the #4 spot on the list. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts - Austin is a private for-profit institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 249 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Out of the 445 schools in the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 206 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
ECPI University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private for-profit school handed out 148 degrees to qualified ’s culinary arts students in 2020-2021.
Sullivan University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this small private for-profit school awarded 86 degrees to qualified ’s culinary arts students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Universidad del Este came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Located in Carolina, , this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s culinary arts students in 2020-2021.
Stratford University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s culinary arts degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking, coming in at #10. The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is a small private for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 69 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
Miami Dade College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Miami Dade College is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking, coming in at #12. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a fairly large school located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that handed out 58 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, Pikes Peak Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. This fairly large school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 123 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Valencia College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Valencia College is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 342 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Culinary Institute Inc came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Culinary Institute LeNotre is located in Houston, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Kapiolani Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Kapiolani Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 82 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Culinary Arts at Kapiolani Community College
Louisiana Culinary Institute did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking, coming in at #17. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s culinary arts degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Culinary Arts at Louisiana Culinary Institute
National Louis University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. NLU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 53 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Niagara County Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Niagara County Community College is located in Sanborn, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Niagara County Community College
City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Kennedy-King College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 153 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Helms College ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Helms College is located in Macon, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s culinary arts degrees to qualified students.
Nicholls State University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major list. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It awarded 50 ’s culinary arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Nicholls State University
College of Southern Nevada came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified ’s culinary arts students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at College of Southern Nevada
Houston Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s culinary arts students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Houston Community College
Hinds Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Culinary Arts Major ranking. Raymond, Mississippi is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s culinary arts degrees to 168 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Culinary Arts at Hinds Community College
Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Southeast Community College Area | Lincoln, NE |
| 52 | Ozarks Technical Community College | Springfield, MO |
| 54 | Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology | Okmulgee, OK |
| 54 | Southwestern Oregon Community College | Coos Bay, OR |
| 56 | Suffolk County Community College | Selden, NY |
| 56 | Bristol Community College | Fall River, MA |
| 56 | National University College | Bayamon, PR |
| 56 | Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 56 | Pittsburgh Technical College | Oakdale, PA |
| 56 | Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh, NC |
| 56 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 56 | Guam Community College | Mangilao, GU |
| 56 | Kingsborough Community College | Brooklyn, NY |
| 56 | El Paso Community College | El Paso, TX |
| 66 | Seattle Central College | Seattle, WA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | SUNY Delhi | Delhi, NY |
| 66 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 66 | Spokane Community College | Spokane, WA |
| 66 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 66 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College | Conway, SC |
| 66 | San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton, CA |
| 66 | Leeward Community College | Pearl City, HI |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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