Are you thinking of taking your passion for cooking to the next level? If so, then check out these top culinary institutes in America.

Your passion needs a molding hand of education and experience, which professionals would provide to you at these institutions.

Before going to the list of best culinary institutes in America, it is necessary to know what these schools are and provide you with.

The world-class meals that we see every day on TV are just not some piece of cake. They have a lot of hard work and experience hidden behind them, which one can easily get in a culinary institute.

This is why you need to get into the best culinary institutes in America to hone your skills.

At culinary schools, you are provided with professional degrees and courses related to food like food service, creating recipes, cooking skills and techniques, food decoration, and the food industry’s business aspect.

The degrees provided in the best culinary institutes of America are not just related to culinary programs.

You get a wide range of options to get a degree in many areas like culinary management, baking and pastry arts, restraint management, international cuisine, hospitality management, and many others.

Although it is not compulsory to be a culinary institute graduate to become a chef in today’s world, it becomes rather easy to get a job as a chef among all this competition.

Because the degree is proof of your education and knowledge in the culinary field, and to become a top chef, you need a degree from a top institute so that you can start right.

Recently, a lot of institutes have started providing culinary programs. But to get the best education, you need to learn techniques from top institutes.

So, USA Tales presents you with the list of top culinary institutes in America to begin your career as a chef.

The 9 Best Culinary Institutes of America

1) The Institute of Culinary Education

This 41-year-old Institute of Culinary Education has produced more than 14,000 successful alumni in the culinary and hospitality fields.

This institute was established in 1975 and had two campuses – one in New York and the other in Los Angeles.

This Culinary Institute of America provides a six to thirteen-month training program in several areas.

Some are pastry and baking arts, culinary arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management, Health-Supportive Culinary Arts, and Hospitality & Hotel Management.

They also provide professional courses in baking bread and cake decoration. This institute has been awarded “Culinary School of the Year” four times.

2) Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America is one of the earliest institutions to provide culinary education for future chefs.

It was established in 1946 and had CIA campuses at four locations worldwide. There are campuses in Hyde Park, NY, CIA at Copia and St. Helena, California, San Antonio, Texas, and Singapore.

CIA students are offered degrees and master’s programs in many fields related to culinary. They also provide certificates for students interested in food and wine.

With the highest investment return among many culinary colleges, this institution takes care of its students by providing up to 90 percent of scholarships and financial aid.

You also get 2000 plus internships around the world.

3) Johnson and Wales University

Johnson and Wales is one of the earliest universities to provide a professional degree in the culinary field and is the top culinary institute in America.

It has several colleges under it in the field of culinary and hospitality. It has a college of culinary arts, a college of hospitality management, and a food innovation & technology college.

There are several courses and this university offers programmers.

Like baking & pastry arts, culinary arts, Food and beverage Entrepreneurship, Culinary Science and product Development, Professional Craft Brewing, and many more.

Johnson and Wales also have campuses in different locations – Florida, Denver, Charlotte, and Providence. So, you can choose which campus and culture suit you best.

4) New England Culinary Institute

NECI is a non-profit top culinary institute in America. Combining traditional with modern teaching is very practical, and they don’t believe in the classroom lecture learning method.

They teach their students in high-profile bakeries, restaurants, and retail outlets, leading to small classroom sizes.

This practical education makes them very desirable interns as they are kitchen-ready and familiar with the environment.

It is located in Vermont, where the farm-to-table revolution started. NECI incorporates the same skills in its students. NECI offers several programs.

Some of them are the Culinary Arts Program, Baking and Pastry Arts Program, and Food and Beverage Business Management Program.

All these programs have several options, making it easier for them to tailor their desired degrees. You will have paid internship options and other successful placements.

This institute has produced culinary leaders, including the founder of this ice cream brand, Ben and Jerry.

5) Le Cordon Bleu College

Set in Cambridge, this top culinary institute of America provides education and skills to succeed in the culinary industry.

You get a business administration degree with a specialization in hospitality management from Le Cordon Bleu.

You will learn from professional chefs equipped with French LCB techniques, proper wine pairing, and plate presentation at this institute.

Here, you also get an opportunity to score a certificate in wine and beverages. This will make you stand out from all the other graduates of different institutes.

There are 30 schools of Le Cordon Bleu spread across five continents with 16 campuses in the United States. You get a chance to attend this historically rich institute from several places.

6) Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

The technique taught at this top culinary institute of America is developed by the ‘king of chefs’ Auguste Escoffier.

They provide hands-on practical experience with kitchen opportunities like farm-to-table. Students spend the whole day on the farm where the food comes from.

This institute’s unique thing is its small classes where every student gets equal attention, and no one is neglected; this makes everyone reach their desired potential.

Without a doubt, it is one of the best culinary institutes in America.

Those who cannot be physically present can get their diploma in the culinary program online. The institute also provides financial aid for those who can qualify.

After they graduate from this spectacular institute, students get access to a variety of paid internships. They also get guaranteed placement because of their vast network.

7) Kendall College School of Culinary Arts

This top culinary institute of America is ranked number one in Chicago among all the other best culinary institutes of America. Kendall College School of Culinary Arts has a state-of-the-art kitchen and a top-rated environment for learning.

They provide B.A. degrees, A.A.S. degrees, and certificates in different programs.

They combine modern culinary techniques and other management skills and abilities. You don’t just learn skills related to culinary that are taught in the initial two years.

You also acquire communication ability and business management. This is covered in the following two years in their three bachelor of arts programs.

The programs are four years long in baking and pastry, culinary arts, and hospital management.

Students are made to learn different cuisines like Latin, South America, Mediterranean, Asian, etc. They also get real-world experience in their restaurant in Chicago with health and safety.

This institute has a history of making out skilled chefs, of which 12 have been honored by the James Beard Foundation.

8) Culinary Institute Lenotre

Alain Lenotre and his wife began Culinary Institute Lenotre in 1998 in Houston.

America’s top culinary institute has welcomed beginners from every background, profession, and age to start or restart their culinary careers and passion.

They have a limited number of students because of the low student-teacher ratio for maximum productivity and benefit.

Students learn many recipes and tours de main in a small amount of time because of their hands-on cooking class. Students also get real-world experience from working in their restraint, le bistro.

They provide culinary arts degrees, but their pasty and arts degree is particularly renowned. Alain le Notre, the founder, is certified as a pastry chef, ice cream maker, and candy maker.

The alumni of this institute are the owners of pastry and fine cuisine establishments. Like Drew Rogers, owner of Drew’s Pastry Place, Michael Jones of a ganache dessert bar, Raymond Malone of Malone’s Deli, and many more.

Closing Thoughts

Among many culinary institutes in America, these are some of the top ones ranked highly. They provide magnificent courses with different techniques, many of them started by renowned chefs and culinary world leaders.

So don’t miss out on the chance to get admission to these institutes if you are serious about your career in the culinary industry.

This being said it is not impossible to be famous as a chef without a degree. The culinary industry is not just limited to a degree but a lot of experience, too.

So, consider how you want to enter the culinary world and through which mode.