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2025 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

3 Colleges in California
485 Associate Degrees
Ranked #23 in popularity, culinary arts is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 3 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 485 associate degrees in culinary arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Culinary Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in California The culinary arts associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for culinary arts students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Culinary Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Culinary Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Culinary Arts in California

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for culinary arts students seeking a an associate degree.

Top California Schools for an Associate in Culinary Arts

1
21 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in culinary arts needs to look into Riverside City College. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Riverside City College

2
61 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Los Angeles Trade Technical College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Los Angeles Trade Technical College

3
21 Annual Graduates

Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles is a good decision for individuals pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a associate in culinary arts from Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles

Best Culinary Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Culinary Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Oregon 147 66
Washington 131 152
Nevada 112 61
Hawaii 59 111
Alaska 54 10

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Culinary Arts is one of 4 different types of Personal & Culinary Services programs to choose from.

Culinary Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts 370
Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager 94
Culinary Arts/Chef Training 21

Majors Similar to Culinary Arts

Related Major Annual Graduates
Cosmetology 257
Funeral & Mortuary Science 61

Notes and References

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