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Bakery chef education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a bakery chef. Bakery chefs usually study culinary arts, business, or health care administration. 32% of bakery chefs hold a high school diploma, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 181 real bakery chef resumes to see exactly what bakery chef education sections show.
The most common colleges for bakery chefs are the University of New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.
There are also many online bakery chef courses to help get the education required to be a bakery chef.
What education do you need to become a bakery chef?
What degree do you need to be a bakery chef?
- High School Diploma, 32%
- Associate, 26%
- Bachelor's, 23%
- Diploma, 17%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a bakery chef?
- Culinary Arts, 29%
- Business, 19%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for bakery chefs
| Bakery chef common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of New Orleans | 9.52% |
| The Art Institute of Houston | 4.76% |
| New England Culinary Institute | 4.76% |
| Full Sail University | 4.76% |
| University of Central Arkansas | 4.76% |
Best majors for bakery chefs
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 28.8% |
| 2 | Business | 18.6% |
| 3 | Health Care Administration | 6.8% |
| 4 | Hospitality Management | 5.1% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.1% |
Best colleges for bakery chefs
The best colleges for bakery chefs are University of Texas at Austin, Vanderbilt University, and University of Rochester.
A bakery chef with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for bakery chefs. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become bakery chefs.
1. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,000
Enrollment
25,973
2. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Enrollment
4,155
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas
Barranquitas, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Enrollment
1,513
8. Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,612
Enrollment
2,022
9. Monroe College
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$15,428
Enrollment
5,482
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for bakery chefs
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Top 10 most affordable universities for bakery chefs
The most affordable schools for bakery chefs are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for bakery chefs are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for bakery chefs.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas
Barranquitas, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,479
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,284
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bakery chefs
The hardest universities for bakery chefs to get into are University of Texas at Austin, Vanderbilt University, and University of Rochester.
Some great schools for bakery chefs are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for bakery chefs based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
4. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bakery chefs
The easiest schools for bakery chefs to get into are AdventHealth University, life university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bakery chef without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for bakery chefs.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average bakery chef salary by education level
| Bakery chef education level | Bakery chef salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,087 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,660 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,257 |
Bakery chef education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025