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Cafe operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cafe operator. Cafe operators usually study business, linguistics, or elementary education. 42% of cafe operators hold a high school diploma, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 25 real cafe operator resumes to see exactly what cafe operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for cafe operators are the University of Toledo and the University of Toledo.

There are also many online cafe operator courses to help get the education required to be a cafe operator.

What education do you need to become a cafe operator?

What degree do you need to be a cafe operator?

The most common degree for cafe operators is high school diploma, with 42% of cafe operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 25%.
  • High School Diploma, 42%
  • Bachelor's, 25%
  • Diploma, 25%
  • Associate, 8%

What should I major in to become a cafe operator?

You should major in business to become a cafe operator. 29% of cafe operators major in business. Other common majors for a cafe operator include linguistics and elementary education.

Most common colleges for cafe operators

Cafe operators often get their degrees at University of Toledo, Utah State University, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for cafe operators in the US based on their resumes.
Cafe operator common collegePercentages
University of Toledo33.33%
Utah State University33.33%
Indiana State University33.33%

Best majors for cafe operators

Best colleges for cafe operators

The best colleges for cafe operators are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and University of Southern California.

A cafe operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cafe operators. 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 cafe operators.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for cafe operators

Advertising disclosure

1. Introduction to Food and Our Environment

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Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. There is a growing global need in agricultural production for a workforce that is capable of integrating knowledge of animal health and production with an understanding of consumer preferences in the context of...

3. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

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4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

4. How to Start a Coffee Shop Successfully (Beginner Course )

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(468)

Plan & Start Your Coffee Shop + 34 Lessons + Includes Checklists, Worksheets + FREE Coffee Shop Business Plan Template...

5. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

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The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

6. Fun food safety and sanitation course

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The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

7. ISO 22000 (HACCP and PRPs) for Food Safety

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Standards, analysis, control points, and risk management related to ISO 22000 for food industry professionals...

8. Audit - Financial Statement

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11. Food Photography: Capturing Food in Your Kitchen

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14. Basic Food Photography

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15. Blockchain applications in Food Safety, Healthcare & Pharma

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16. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

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17. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow

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How To Quickly Read & Understand The Big 3 Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement...

18. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

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19. Financial Statement Analysis - Ratio Analysis

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Master the Art of Financial Statement Analysis: Unlocking Insights through Vertical, Horizontal, and Ratio Analysis...

20. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

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Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

Top 10 most affordable universities for cafe operators

The most affordable schools for cafe operators are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for cafe operators 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 cafe operators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cafe operators

The hardest universities for cafe operators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for cafe operators 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 cafe operators 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cafe operators

The easiest schools for cafe operators to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and san francisco state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cafe operator 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 cafe operators.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

4. Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Weatherford, OK • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,085

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average cafe operator salary by education level

According to our data, cafe operators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,632 annually. Cafe operators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $79,521.
Cafe operator education levelCafe operator salary
Master's Degree$82,632
High School Diploma or Less$67,117
Bachelor's Degree$79,521
Some College/ Associate Degree$70,682

Cafe operator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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