Post job

Cafeteria cook education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, cafeteria cooks don't need a college education. The most common degree for cafeteria cooks is high school diploma with 50% graduates, with only 24% cafeteria cook graduates earning associate degree. Cafeteria cooks who decided to graduate from college often finish Johnson & Wales University or University of Phoenix. Some good skills to have in this position include culinary, cleanliness and kitchen equipment.

What education do you need to become a cafeteria cook?

What degree do you need to be a cafeteria cook?

The most common degree for cafeteria cooks is high school diploma, with 50% of cafeteria cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • High School Diploma, 50%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Bachelor's, 9%
  • Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a cafeteria cook?

You should major in culinary arts to become a cafeteria cook. 28% of cafeteria cooks major in culinary arts. Other common majors for a cafeteria cook include business and general studies.

Best majors for cafeteria cooks

20 best online courses for cafeteria cooks

Advertising disclosure

1. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

coursera

Cooking is one of the most powerful ways in which we can optimize our enjoyment of great quality food while protecting our health. Even on a tight budget, cooking can be a cost-effective, joyful and rewarding way to love the food that will love us back for a lifetime. In this course, you’ll learn some basic recipes from a home cook and two professional chefs who prioritize healthful eating. You’ll also learn some of the fundamentals of principle-based cooking that can help you break free from...

2. Stanford Introduction to Food and Health

coursera

Around the world, we find ourselves facing global epidemics of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other predominantly diet-related diseases. To address these public health crises, we urgently need to explore innovative strategies for promoting healthful eating. There is strong evidence that global increases in the consumption of heavily processed foods, coupled with cultural shifts away from the preparation of food in the home, have contributed to high rates of preventable, chronic disease. In this...

3. Fun food safety and sanitation course

udemy
4.6
(539)

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

4. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

udemy
4.6
(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

5. Child Nutrition and Cooking

coursera

Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...

6. Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems

coursera

Our society depends on the availability of food and accessibility to it. According to the United Nations nearly 800 million people are hungry and on the other hand, over 650 million people are obese. While many people in developing countries experience food shortage, in industrialized countries people are throwing food away. These facts show how paradoxical and complex the world’s food problem is. ln this course, more than 10 food researchers from Utrecht University will address the main issues...

7. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

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

8. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

udemy
4.3
(489)

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

9. Introduction to Food and Our Environment

coursera

This course is designed to help learners around the world become more sustainable eaters. Course videos can be watched in any order. Feel free to explore special areas of interest by skipping ahead and coming back to less familiar topics at a later stage. Together, we’ll explore key topics, like how food production impacts the environment and why meat production and protein consumption are often at the center of the debate around sustainability. We’ll introduce the pros and cons of different...

10. Eat Real Food: How to Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet

udemy
4.5
(4,365)

Learn how to be a healthy vegan or vegetarian in a holistic way for best health, weight, and wellbeing...

11. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan

udemy
4.8
(462)

Learn How To Set Up A Vegan Diet For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning & Vegan Bodybuilding...

12. Food Photography: Capturing Food in Your Kitchen

udemy
4.7
(3,133)

With DIY Food Photography, you'll be taking better photos in no time with what you have in your own kitchen!...

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

udemy
4.4
(618)

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

14. Basic Food Photography

udemy
4.2
(1,349)

Learn how to take delicious food photos from scratch...

15. Blockchain applications in Food Safety, Healthcare & Pharma

udemy
4.5
(3,019)

Best course to learn about Blockchain Business Applications in Pharma, Food Safety, Healthcare and Insurance Industries...

16. Get to Know Your Food: Claims, Labels & Ingredients

udemy
4.4
(813)

Learn how to make the healthiest and best food choices amidst processed and packaged foods...

17. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Diet Planning

udemy
4.4
(2,190)

Learn how to Create Your Clients(or your)perfect diet and nutrition plan based on their goals, preferences and lifestyle...

18. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet

udemy
4.7
(807)

Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...

19. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

udemy
4.5
(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

20. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification

udemy
4.6
(2,112)

Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...

Average cafeteria cook salary by education level

According to our data, cafeteria cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $31,847 annually. Cafeteria cooks with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $31,308.
Cafeteria cook education levelCafeteria cook salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,804
Bachelor's Degree$31,847
No Education$30,542
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,308

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.

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs