How will your culinary education stack up?

Take a few moments to compare how the culinary education in your home state compares with that of other states in the nation. There are 582 traditional culinary schools in the US.

Top Schools

The top schools in the nation in 2010 that had culinary programs were:

1. Boston University - located in Boston, Massachusetts
2. Drexel University - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
3. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus - located in Cincinnati, Ohio

Student Demographics

In the US, 28,675 students graduated from culinary programs in 2010. Of these students, 13,641 graduated from certificate programs in culinary arts, 15,025 graduated from undergraduate programs in culinary arts, and 9 graduated from graduate-level programs in culinary arts.

Academics

Students can pursue education in culinary arts at the following levels:

Culinary students can expect to gain the following skills and/or knowledge while studying culinary:

• Reading Comprehension
• Desserts
• Time Management
• Sauces and Soups
• Product Identification

Cost

On average in 2010, culinary schools in the US charged $15,268 in tuition per year. The culinary schools that charged students the highest tuition rates were:

1. Boston University - located in Boston, Massachusetts, students paid $38,440
2. Drexel University - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, students paid $31,835
3. Delaware Valley College - located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, students paid $27,742

The culinary schools that charged students the lowest tuition rates were:

1. Monongalia County Technical Education Center - located in Morgantown, West Virginia, students paid $1,050
2. Traviss Career Center - located in Lakeland, Florida, students paid $2,845
3. Michigan Career and Technical Institute - located in Plainwell, Michigan, students paid $3,750

How will your culinary job compare?

A large number of culinary arts majors work as chefs after graduation. In 2010, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there were 90,510 chefs working in the US. The largest numbers of chefs work in the following states:

1. California - 10,530 Chefs
2. Florida - 6,150 Chefs
3. Texas - 5,360 Chefs

Projected Growth

The government projects that by 2018, the number of people working as a chef in the US will shrink to 108,500. This would require a 0% decline in the profession. The following states are projected to have the fastest growth for chefs over the next few years:

1. Georgia - 15%
2. Utah - 13%
3. Texas - 13%

Salary

On average, a chef earns a salary of $40,975 per year in the US. However, factors such as experience, your exact job description, or professional associations and certifications can cause the salary for a chef to vary greatly. A chef in the US can earn anywhere from less than $15,430 per year to more than $163,290 per year. The following states have the highest average salaries for a chef:

1. New Jersey - $61,960 per year
2. Connecticut - $54,870 per year
3. Rhode Island - $51,540 per year

The states with the lowest average salary for chefs are:

1. Idaho - $30,420 per year
2. Tennessee - $32,450 per year
3. Georgia - $34,060 per year