California Campus > Degree Program > Choosing a Culinary College
CHOOSING A CULINARY COLLEGE
What's the best culinary school out there? For that matter, what are the top 10 culinary colleges around? How do I really know I'm going to a top cooking school? If you're student looking for the best education for a successful culinary career, you may be asking these and many other questions as you research your choices.
Here are six key criteria that can help you assess the quality of different culinary schools and decide which college program is right for you:
1. Choose a culinary college that will give you the greatest possible chance for success:
High graduation and employment rates.
Opportunities for long-term career success with attractive salaries.
Large, successful alumni networks.
Widespread reputation providing access to national and international career opportunities (regional schools do not offer these benefits).
High number of teaching kitchens and in-kitchen instruction hours.
A variety of first-class restaurants on campus for professional training.
Externships at leading restaurants, hotels, and resorts for real-world experience and industry connections.
3. Choose a culinary school with a large faculty of experienced, diverse, and accomplished chefs:
Faculty members who are Master Chefs or Master Bakers
Instructors who are Certified Hospitality Educators (C.H.E.s) a certification indicating effective teachers.
Diverse faculty representing a variety of cultures and culinary experiences.
"Celebrity" chef faculty members who actually teach, not just endorse the school.
Student/faculty ratios that provide individual mentoring.
A "published" faculty and college; accomplished educators are often authors of leading culinary texts as well.
4. Choose an accredited culinary college offering both associate and bachelor's degree programs:
Associate degree programs that provide fundamental skills, techniques, and cuisine studies to prepare you for a variety of foodservice jobs.
Bachelor's degree programs that provide the same foundation plus build operational and management knowledge to prepare you for leadership in and beyond the kitchens and bakeshops.
Accredited by the leading regional accrediting commission for higher education, validating the quality of the education provided.
A diverse student body and a variety of clubs, special events, and sports.
Attractive campus housing and recreational facilities, and a fun student life experience.
Access to a major city where you can benefit from additional entertainment, cultural learning, and exposure to leading foodservice businesses.
6. Choose a culinary college that offers superior value, backed by a complete financial aid program:
A clear description of tuition and other education expenses as an indicator of institutional quality and integrity.
Superior value leading to superior career potentialeducational experience and industry access to maximize your career opportunity.
A professional, experienced financial aid staff ready to address your needs.
Available college scholarships to supplement federal and state programs.
Continuing support for each year of study, not just the first year.
To research cooking schools, start at top guides like ShawGuides The Guide To Cooking Schools (also www.shawguides.com, cooking and wine schools, career) and Peterson's Culinary Schools guide (www.culinaryschools.com) to identify schools of interest. Then visit the colleges' Web sites and request viewbooks and catalogs to learn about their programs and resources.
While the Web is a great general source, avoid "top 10"-type ranking sites that are typically advertisements for a narrow selection of schools.