Top Culinary Schools in the USA

Have you ever dreamed of becoming one of the top chefs in the US, and maybe someday owning your own restaurant? With so many chef competitions on the television, the idea of becoming a star chef seems more accessible than ever. Gourmet cooking has never been more popular, and there has been a proliferation of Top Culinary Schools to cope with demand. In addition, the number of students taking culinary majors increased over the years and the challenge for each of them is to be trained by the best institution to be able to land a decent job in the culinary arts.

What to look for when choosing a school?

When choosing from the range of top Culinary Schools, it is important to look for membership of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, which represents and maintains standards of Top Culinary Schools nationally. After all, you will be paying for your program and it needs to be of the highest standard in terms of teaching and learning.

Getting a qualification in an area you are passionate about can open up a whole new world of opportunity for Top Culinary Schools’ graduates. When you attend one which has a fantastic reputation and the respect of the national and in many cases international culinary community, you can look forward to an exciting career as a chef for many years to come.

Top Culinary Schools in America

Some of the Top Schools from around the US (in our opinion) are:

• Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City
• Culinary Institute of America
• Texas Culinary Academy in Austin
• California Culinary Academy in San Francisco
• The International Culinary School in Washington
• Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago
• Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston
• Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh

These schools promise realistic hands on training and leave students in no doubt that the career they are training for is going to be physically demanding and at time mentally exhausting, and yet it can be one of the most satisfying vocations of all. They welcome trainees who have ambition and aspire to be the best in their chosen discipline.

How to choose a culinary school?

Having lots of good culinary schools with different expertise means that you can train for any career in the hospitality industry, whether you wish to specialize in gourmet cooking, or see yourself fulfilled in a role linked to restaurant or hotel management. There are Certificate, Associate degree, Bachelor and Master’s degree programs for trainees of all ages and abilities, plus many offer online training programs to fit in with your current commitments and financial resources.

photo credit: flickr.com/familymwr

It is worth researching the strengths of individual schools before committing yourself. Among the questions to consider are:

• How up to date are the programs of teaching learning for your chosen career and how qualified and experienced will the trainers be?
• How much hands-on, real work experience will you get in real life situations?
• How well known is your ideal Culinary School in the restaurant or hotel community?
• What kind of advanced training is offered by Top Culinary Schools to help you develop as far as possible in your chosen profession?