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Kitchen chef education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a kitchen chef. Kitchen chefs usually study culinary arts, business, or general studies. 34% of kitchen chefs hold a associate degree, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 749 real kitchen chef resumes to see exactly what kitchen chef education sections show.
The most common colleges for kitchen chefs are the Culinary Institute of America and the Culinary Institute of America.
There are also many online kitchen chef courses to help get the education required to be a kitchen chef.
There are certain kitchen chef certifications that you should consider. These kitchen chef certifications include Certified Master Chef (CMC) and Certified Food Manager (CFM).
What education do you need to become a kitchen chef?
What degree do you need to be a kitchen chef?
- Associate, 34%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a kitchen chef?
- Culinary Arts, 36%
- Business, 16%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for kitchen chefs
| Kitchen chef common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Culinary Institute of America | 23.53% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 14.71% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 7.35% |
| University of Phoenix | 4.41% |
| Kansas State University | 4.41% |
Best majors for kitchen chefs
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 35.9% |
| 2 | Business | 16.0% |
| 3 | General Studies | 6.5% |
| 4 | Hospitality Management | 6.1% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 3.9% |
Best colleges for kitchen chefs
The best colleges for kitchen chefs are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A kitchen 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 kitchen 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 kitchen chefs.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
9. University of Charleston
Charleston, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$30,900
Enrollment
1,910
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for kitchen chefs
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Top 10 most affordable universities for kitchen chefs
The most affordable schools for kitchen chefs are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for kitchen 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 kitchen chefs.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Alaska Southeast
Juneau, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$7,092
Cost of attendance
16,853
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for kitchen chefs
The hardest universities for kitchen chefs to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for kitchen 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 kitchen 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for kitchen chefs
The easiest schools for kitchen chefs to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, life university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a kitchen 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 kitchen chefs.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average kitchen chef salary by education level
| Kitchen chef education level | Kitchen chef salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,218 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,095 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,748 |
Kitchen 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