Savor the Journey: Culinary Schools That Turn Passion into Profession

Discover the best culinary schools that will help you hone your skills and turn your passion for cooking into a successful career. Savor the journey towards becoming a professional chef with expert guidance and hands-on training.



The culinary world is an ever-expanding universe of flavors, techniques, and experiences. Whether you're looking to turn your passion for food into a career or elevate your cooking skills to new heights, choosing the right culinary school is paramount. Today, we'll dive into some of the most prestigious and innovative culinary institutions that offer programs designed to shape the future of food. From the farm-to-table experience in Boulder's picturesque landscapes to holistic nutrition and online masterclasses, let's explore the best fit for your culinary dreams.

Escoffier

A Culinary Capital at the Foothills: Boulder, Colorado

Traditionally known as a haven for those who love the great outdoors, Boulder, Colorado is quickly becoming a national center for innovative cuisine. Escoffier is excited to play a role in Boulder’s rise as a culinary capital, with a campus location that brings students close to the exciting restaurant life in the city as well as local agriculture and artisanal producers in the surrounding region.

TAKE YOUR PASSION FOR FOOD TO NEW (ROCKY MOUNTAIN) HEIGHTS IN BOULDER

Study with experienced chefs passionate about fresh, local ingredients. Embrace the farm-to-table movement and sustainable cuisine. Bask in the natural beauty of the Rockies and enjoy abundant outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hiking, biking, and skiing. Experience a high quality of life and a strong sense of community. When you enroll at Escoffier in Boulder, you can complete a six-week experience that lets you explore the production processes behind the ingredients you use. Concepts learned from the Farm to Table® Experience can help you appreciate the science, art, and craft behind everything from the herbs you use as garnish to the meat and dairy that take a starring role in your dishes.

Chef’s Pencil ranks Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts as the best culinary school in the world 2020. USA Today ranks Escoffier among the Top 10 U.S. culinary schools 2019. For cost inquiries, please call the school directly for more information.

Institute of Culinary Education

The Gateway to Culinary Excellence: Institute of Culinary Education

In as little as 8 months, you could change your life — that’s how long it takes to earn a Culinary Arts or Plant-Based Culinary Arts diploma at the Institute of Culinary Education. ICE’s award-winning alumni are thriving throughout the culinary industry — from restaurants, test kitchens, and private chefs, to catering, nutritionists, food media, and more! Just imagine what you could do!

Culinary Arts: Establish a Foundation and Explore Global Cuisines

Plant-Based Culinary Arts: Harvest a Health-Forward Future

Excellence at ICE

Discounted Dual Diploma Opportunity. With a global curriculum, dedicated chef-instructors, a strong job placement record, and a clear entrepreneurial focus, ICE is recognized by top chefs and hospitality professionals as a leading pathway to beginning or continuing a wide range of culinary and hospitality careers.

If you’re unable to attend classes at an ICE campus, you can gain foundational, professional training in the techniques and art of cooking and earn a diploma in Culinary Arts, Plant-Based Culinary Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management, or Hospitality & Hotel Management — all from the convenience of your own kitchen.

Park City Culinary Institute

Culinary Dreams Realized in Weeks: Park City Culinary Institute

Get certified in Cooking, Baking, and the Culinary Arts in as few as 5 weeks. Now in Salt Lake City! Start with a fun, hands-on learning environment that supports your food artistry. Season with a culinary teaching kitchen and mentorship from professional chef instructors. Add a dash of professional culinary skills, regardless of age or experience.

Turn up the heat with an accelerated curriculum

Finish with a life-long set of skills for a delicious and creative future! No need to pick between dinner and dessert. Our Professional Certificate in the Culinary Arts is a combination of the Cuisine Certificate and the Pastry & Baking Certificate. This program includes 192 hours of hands-on training, where you can choose your schedule to complete the course in as few as 10 weeks, or part-time over 4 months.

Want to finish sooner? We offer an Accelerated Program which allows you to complete the full curriculum in just 5 weeks by attending the morning and afternoon classes together!

A Cuisine Certificate Tailored for Your Taste

The Cuisine Certificate gives you hands-on practice with meat, poultry, seafood, knife skills, and technical cuts. Learn all about plating, flavor profiles, and other advanced techniques during your 96 hours of training. Get your Cuisine Certificate in as little as 5 to 8 weeks.

Sweet Success: The Pastry & Baking Certificate

For those with a passion for all things pastries and baking, this certificate gives you hands-on practice with croissants, eclairs, French macarons, as well as techniques such as tempering chocolate, cake decorating, and more. The Pastry & Baking Certificate includes 96 hours of training and can be completed in 5 to 8 weeks.

We limit our class sizes to small intimate groups, allowing you to receive more personalized attention from your chef instructors. This makes it easier for you to participate and become more involved in class, which accelerates your learning. You develop meaningful skills that expand your culinary knowledge and make you a valuable asset in the industry. You'll surprise yourself at how fast your skills improve!

We are honored to be a three-time winner of Best of State in Culinary Education, two-time winner of Best of Utah, and proclaimed as the "Culinary School That Makes Sense." With our flexible schedules, you can choose between the online and on-campus programs. Our online programs are just like live classes! For every minute that you’re cooking, we are with you providing real-time feedback, not just videos.

For cost inquiries, please call the school directly for more information.

Bauman College

Nourish the World: Become a Holistic Chef

Get the skills to become a Holistic Chef from the comfort of home. The 12-month Holistic Chef Culinary Program is 100% Online + Industry Externship. Join the food change movement and become a Holistic Chef! You can train to create delicious, health-forward dishes from your own kitchen. Learn to feed your community in a way that promotes wellness, enhances mood, and honors our collective food history.

At Bauman College, we believe that chefs are truly the first caretaker of a person’s well-being. By what you choose to include on a plate, you can bring nourishment, enjoyment, and connection to people. And there are so many ways that you can do this! As a private chef, you may work directly with families in their homes designing daily menus and serving food that meets their lifestyle needs. As a personal chef, you may work with several clients, meal planning, and batch cooking to stock their fridges and feed them for the week. As a caterer, you’re trusted to create memorable special occasion meals that bring together loved ones in joy and celebration. Or you can reach more people by starting a meal delivery service where your customers order from your set menus so that they can eat convenient and wholesome meals at home.

Your Holistic Chef certification opens doors as a food writer, cookbook author, restaurant owner, head chef, and food advocate. Upon completion of our 12-month, 100% online + industry externship Holistic Chef culinary program, you will have expertise in the following areas so that you can craft your own career and find work you love: Culinary Foundations + Knife Skills + Kitchen Safety, Cooking for Food Allergies + Sensitivities, Restorative Cooking + Menu Planning, The Eating for Health® Approach, Farm-to-Table Culinary Techniques, Alternative Baking, Cultural Cuisines + Flavor Profiles, Plating Styles + Culinary Entrepreneurship, And More!

For cost inquiries, please call the school directly for more information.

MasterClass

Master Your Culinary Skills with the Stars: MasterClass

UNLEASH YOUR COOKING POTENTIAL. MasterClass is the streaming platform that makes it possible for anyone to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 180+ of the world’s best. Whether it be in business and leadership, photography, cooking, writing, acting, music, sports, and more, MasterClass delivers a world-class online learning experience.

Video lessons are available anytime, anywhere on your smartphone, personal computer, Apple TV, and FireTV streaming media players. Membership includes access to an incredible catalog of 180+ classes taught by the world’s best on cooking, leadership, photography, writing, and more. Each class includes around 20 video lessons that are 10 minutes long on average, along with an in-depth workbook. You also get access to our smartphone and TV apps, offline lessons, our members-only newsletter, and our dynamic community of members around the world.

MasterClass offers 180+ classes across a variety of categories, including business and leadership, photography, cooking, writing, acting, music, sports, and more. Every class has been designed to be accessible for people with little to no experience and advanced students alike. With new classes launching regularly, you can learn practical skills, ignite new passions, and get everyday wisdom.

MasterClass offers annual memberships starting at $120 billed annually, which unlocks unlimited access to all classes, including new launches. Membership benefits include the use of MasterClass mobile and TV apps, access to high-definition video content, and downloadable class workbooks. For full details, please see our Plans page.

Choosing the right culinary school is like selecting the perfect ingredients for your signature dish. Each institution offers unique flavors and experiences that cater to different tastes and aspirations. Whether you're drawn to the mountainous backdrop of Boulder, the entrepreneurial spirit of ICE, the accelerated programs of Park City Culinary Institute, the holistic approach of Bauman College, or the star-studded lessons of MasterClass, your culinary journey is bound to be an adventure of a lifetime. So, tie on your apron, sharpen your knives, and prepare to transform your culinary passion into a fulfilling career.