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Restaurant inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a restaurant inspector. Restaurant inspectors usually study business, culinary arts, or linguistics. 63% of restaurant inspectors hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 19 real restaurant inspector resumes to see exactly what restaurant inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for restaurant inspectors are the Miami Dade College and the Miami Dade College.

There are also many online restaurant inspector courses to help get the education required to be a restaurant inspector.

What education do you need to become a restaurant inspector?

What degree do you need to be a restaurant inspector?

The most common degree for restaurant inspectors is associate degree, with 63% of restaurant inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
  • Associate, 63%
  • Bachelor's, 25%
  • Master's, 13%

What should I major in to become a restaurant inspector?

You should major in business to become a restaurant inspector. 18% of restaurant inspectors major in business. Other common majors for a restaurant inspector include culinary arts and linguistics.

Most common colleges for restaurant inspectors

Restaurant inspectors often get their degrees at Miami Dade College, College America - Phoenix, and George Washington University, The. Here are the most common colleges for restaurant inspectors in the US based on their resumes.
Restaurant inspector common collegePercentages
Miami Dade College14.29%
College America - Phoenix14.29%
George Washington University, The14.29%
California College-San Diego14.29%
California State University - Fresno14.29%

Best majors for restaurant inspectors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.2%
2Culinary Arts18.2%
3Linguistics9.1%
4Biology9.1%
5Hospitality Management9.1%

Best colleges for restaurant inspectors

The best colleges for restaurant inspectors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.

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

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Enrollment

58,392

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for restaurant inspectors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for restaurant inspectors

The most affordable schools for restaurant inspectors are USF Sarasota-Manatee, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for restaurant inspectors 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 restaurant inspectors.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for restaurant inspectors

The hardest universities for restaurant inspectors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for restaurant inspectors 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 restaurant inspectors 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for restaurant inspectors

The easiest schools for restaurant inspectors to get into are La Roche College, gwynedd mercy university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a restaurant inspector 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 restaurant inspectors.

1. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average restaurant inspector salary by education level

According to our data, restaurant inspectors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $64,719 annually. Restaurant inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $54,804.
Restaurant inspector education levelRestaurant inspector salary
Master's Degree$64,719
High School Diploma or Less$48,066
Bachelor's Degree$54,804
Some College/ Associate Degree$53,747

Restaurant inspector 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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