Meal Cook Education Requirements And Courses

Meal cook education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, meal cooks don't need a college education. The most common degree for meal cooks is high school diploma with 40% graduates, with only 29% meal cook graduates earning associate degree. Meal cooks who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Pennsylvania or University of California, Berkeley. Some good skills to have in this position include food safety, food preparation and companionship.

What education do you need to become a meal cook?

What degree do you need to be a meal cook?

The most common degree for meal cooks is high school diploma, with 40% of meal cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 15%.

High School Diploma, 40%

Associate, 29%

Bachelor's, 15%

Diploma, 12%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a meal cook?

You should major in culinary arts to become a meal cook. 15% of meal cooks major in culinary arts. Other common majors for a meal cook include criminal justice and business.

Culinary Arts, 15%

Criminal Justice, 12%

Business, 12%

General Studies, 9%

Other Majors, 52%

Best majors for meal cooks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Culinary Arts	15.5%
2	Criminal Justice	11.8%
3	Business	11.8%
4	General Studies	9.1%
5	Nursing	6.4%

Show more common meal cook majors

20 best online courses for meal cooks

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1. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

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. Food Sustainability, Mindful Eating, and Healthy Cooking

This specialization is intended for anyone seeking to improve their health, protect our planet and build a stronger, more positive relationship with food. The courses aim to improve knowledge about the relationships between our health, our food, how our food is made, and our environment, while inspiring us to make decisions that will protect our health and the health of the environment. After completing the specialization a learner with no previous food, nutrition, sustainable, mindful eating,...

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

4.6

(1,644)

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

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

4.8

(462)

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

5. Child Nutrition and Cooking

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. Nutrition Certification: The Correct Dieting & Meal PLaning

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Master Nutrition/ Dieting for healthy Weight Loss & Building Muscles (Adapt with COVID-19)...

7. Healthy Cooking Fundamentals

4.7

(2,421)

A practical course to take your cooking skills from dull to delicious...

8. Fun food safety and sanitation course

4.6

(539)

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

9. Essential Cooking Skills

4.6

(3,711)

Cook like a pro, master the basic techniques used in the World's culinary industry! Key Techniques - Part 1...

10. More Essential Cooking Skills

4.7

(652)

Cook like a pro, master the basic techniques used in the World's culinary industry! Key Techniques - part 2...

11. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

4.4

(976)

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

12. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning

4.6

(1,607)

Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...

13. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

14. Nutrition Certification Diploma: Diet Planning & Meal Prep

4.7

(277)

Become A Nutrition Expert: Create Muscle Growth & Fat Loss Meal Plan Dieting Certificate For Health & Sports Nutrition...

15. Thai Cooking Master Class

4.7

(608)

Learn to how cook better than restaurant Thai food as you discover new ingredients and elevate your cooking skills...

16. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

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

17. Medical coding for U.S. healthcare industry

4.5

(266)

Jump start your career in the fastest growing career choice in the healthcare industry...

18. Medical Terminology

4.7

(3,688)

Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...

19. Azure Active Directory And Azure AD Domain Services

4.5

(5,411)

Learn how Azure Active Directory, On-Premises Active directory and Azure AD Domain Services (AADDS) integrate together...

20. EU Medical Device Regulatory Affairs explained Simply

4.3

(391)

How to get approval to sell Medical Devices within the European Union. Understand regulatory affairs & ISO 13485 2016...

Average meal cook salary by education level

Meal cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $35,178 annually. With a Associate degree, meal cooks earn a median annual income of $34,399 compared to $33,675 for meal cooks with an High School Diploma degree.

Meal cook education level	Meal cook salary
High School Diploma or Less	$33,675
Bachelor's Degree	$35,178
No Education	$33,299
Some College/ Associate Degree	$34,399