Introduction
When it comes to food, those who prepare it and those that eat it can all agree that they are in love. The chefs have a love for food rooted in the preparation of a meal, from the individual ingredients to how they come together. While those who eat the food have a love for the finished product of the chefs, their love is rooted in the visual appeal of a plate and also the notes that the flavors sing on their taste buds. Let us see some top Culinary Schools.
Top Culinary Schools
There are many culinary schools out there. Keep reading to find out who are the top culinary schools in America. For those who seek to build a career in the industry as a chef, their skills will have to be improved through work experience or education in the craft. Some of the top culinary schools are Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Institute of Culinary Education, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, and Culinary Institute of America to name a few. Keep reading to see the complete list of top culinary schools and see how they stack up against one another.
List Of Best culinary schools
There are multiple quality culinary schools out there. However, the focus of this specific article will be on roughly 19 culinary schools that rank as the best out there. The list appears below:
- Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
- Institute of Culinary Education
- Kendall College School of Culinary Arts
- Culinary Institute of America
- Johnson and Wales Culinary College
- Culinary Institute Lenotre
- Stratford University School of Culinary Arts
- Monroe College
- Culinary Institute of Virginia
- Sullivan University National Center for Hospitality Studies.
- College of Southern Nevada
- Pierpont Community and Technical College
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary arts
This culinary institute has campuses located in Austin Texas and Boulder Colorado. It is widely regarded among the top culinary schools in the world. Some people may even argue that it is the top culinary school. What is important to note is that the school’s two campuses each offer aspiring chefs different degree programs. In addition to the on-campus degrees that the institution offers, it is also the only institution that is accredited to offer its culinary degrees online.
This empowers aspiring chefs by giving them a recognized degree in addition to allowing them to do externships at any hospitality location provided the location chosen is approved. Those who enroll can expect to either be part of the culinary arts or pastry program which upon completion would see them receive a diploma. Alternatively, the school has great two-year degree programs which would upon completion see a student receive an associate’s degree in baking and pastry or in the culinary arts.
Institute of Culinary Education
This institution is more commonly referred to as ICE. According to the most recent USA Today rankings, ICE is the top-ranked culinary school in the USA. The school is well respected and highly ranked because its students can study towards a diploma in culinary arts or baking and pastry. The course at this institution is taught to students by well-respected members of the hospitality field. It will take a student 600 hours to complete either program.
ICE has campuses in downtown Manhattan, New York as well as in Los Angele, California. ICE has multiple events every year which presents the opportunity to be a part of the culinary world. Every year ICE has more than 500 events. The institute also offers students and prospective students top-quality cake-decorating and bread-baking courses.
Kendall College School of Culinary Arts
This culinary school is located in the windy city of Chicago, IL Kendall is one of the best culinary colleges because of the quality it offers. In addition to the quality, the institution allows prospective students and students to earn their associate degrees in an accelerated period. They offer well-respected baking and pastry courses in addition to their usual culinary arts programs.
If you are the type who prefers to take your time with something, then you are welcome to spend more time in Chicago and work towards getting your bachelor’s degree in your culinary field of choice. The pursuit of your bachelor’s degree will take you four years. In the campus’s culinary center, you can expect to learn the necessary skills on the relevant equipment. That’ll ensure that you’re real-world ready when you leave there with your qualification to become a part of the hospitality world. To test the mastery of your skills at Kendal, you will complete growth courses that are designed to test how much you have learned and can implement.
Culinary Institute of America
The CIA as it is most commonly known is one of the more popular culinary schools out there and is also among the best culinary schools in the world. The institution boasts an incredible 3 campuses that are spread across the USA. In addition to the three U.S based campuses, the CIA also has a single campus in Singapore. What aspiring chefs need to note is the high standard that the CIA has, it is not the easiest culinary school to get into. One of the requirements to gain admission to the CIA is that an aspiring student has multiple months of experience in a culinary environment. Without those months of experience acceptance into the CIA is unlikely.
Should you gain admission into the CIA, they have multiple levels for the courses that they offer, beginning with its associate degrees which are two-year programs and reach as high as the Master’s program which lasts 6 years. At the CIA you can also choose the field that you’d like to specialize in. This can either be culinary arts or baking and pastry. While learning about the culinary arts at the CIA you will also engage with some of the world’s top chefs. This is because they will be your instructors.
Johnson and Wales Culinary College
This culinary institute is spread across the United States with multiple campuses. Because of how many campuses they have, the culinary school is well-known in the world of hospitality. Beyond equipping their students with the skills to cook delicious meals, Johnson and Wales Culinary College further prepare their students for the working world by also teaching them the many ways food impacts people and how to accurately analyze that impacts.
This culinary school offers several degree programs for its students and prospective student. One reason it stands out from other culinary institutions is that it offers craft brewing as one of its courses. If you manage to complete the craft brewing program, you will be awarded a certificate. This means they have students with a love for food, in addition to an affinity for a good drink.
Culinary institute Lenotre
This institute of the culinary arts is located in Houston, Texas. This is one of the top schools for someone who is in search of being fully in tune with the culinary world. It offers multiple degree opportunities in baking and pastry in addition to a degree qualification in the culinary arts. It will only take a student 90 days to successfully finish studying towards their hospitality and restaurant management degree. Another reason for the quality that this institution of the culinary arts produces is its instructor.
All instructors at the Culinary Institute Lenotre, have at least 15 years of experience, which means that not only are students taught by people who know what they are doing, but the student also gets to learn from some of the best to ever step into a kitchen. Here, the classes are not large and they are short too. At this school of the culinary arts, students find themselves with less time in the classroom and more time in the kitchen. This is so that when they walk out of Lenotre, they are ready ad equipped for what the actual world of hospitality has to offer.
Monroe College
This college is also in New York City. What earned this one a place among the best culinary schools out there is the balance they have managed to achieve between its theory and practical elements. At Monroe, students are free to decide where they want to spend their time. Some choose to be in the kitchen which means they will study the usual, culinary arts degree or baking and pastry degree. However, for those who have a passion for food but not the drive to be in the kitchen, Monroes offers a degree study opportunity in hospitality management. Regardless of your food passion, you can’t go wrong with Monroes.
Conclusion
There are many other schools that you can attend if you seek a future in the hospitality industry. Here only some of the top schools were covered. Each culinary school has its own benefits. Which one you attend should be guided by your preference and what it is you seek to achieve in the hospitality industry. A love for food and a passion for art will only get you so far, sometimes it’s the right instruction that makes all the difference.
