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Menu planner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a menu planner. Menu planners usually study culinary arts, hospitality management, or business. 50% of menu planners hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 50 real menu planner resumes to see exactly what menu planner education sections show.
The most common colleges for menu planners are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.
There are also many online menu planner courses to help get the education required to be a menu planner.
What education do you need to become a menu planner?
What degree do you need to be a menu planner?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a menu planner?
- Culinary Arts, 17%
- Business, 7%
- Dietetics, 7%
- Other Majors, 59%
Most common colleges for menu planners
| Menu planner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | 12.50% |
| California State University - Northridge | 6.25% |
| Bradley University | 6.25% |
| Florida State University | 6.25% |
| Old Dominion University | 6.25% |
Best majors for menu planners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 16.7% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 10.0% |
| 3 | Business | 6.7% |
| 4 | Dietetics | 6.7% |
| 5 | Public Health | 6.7% |
Best colleges for menu planners
The best colleges for menu planners are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
A menu planner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for menu planners. 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 menu planners.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
5. Dominican University
River Forest, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$33,434
Enrollment
2,098
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
20 best online courses for menu planners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for menu planners
The most affordable schools for menu planners are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for menu planners 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 menu planners.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for menu planners
The hardest universities for menu planners to get into are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for menu planners 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 menu planners 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for menu planners
The easiest schools for menu planners to get into are D'Youville College, life university, and texas woman's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a menu planner 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 menu planners.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average menu planner salary by education level
| Menu planner education level | Menu planner salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $66,519 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,749 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $72,620 |
Menu planner 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