Institute of Culinary Education (NYC) -- Founded in 1975 by the late Peter Kump, the school's career division offers a fast, intensive culinary education geared for adults at least 20 years old. Students are required to have completed at least two years of college or to have two years of work experience in order to enroll. The Institute’s gender ratio is approximately 50/50, and the average student age is 24-28. Students come from all over the United States and the world. In 2002 and 2003, ICE was a finalist and winner in the International Association of Culinary Professionals' vocational and avocational culinary school of the year awards. Its students and alumni regularly are nominated for or win top industry awards, such as James Beard Awards, Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in America, and Pastry Art & Design's Ten Best Pastry Chefs. We rate ICE as one of the Best Culinary Schools on our List. Personal tour's of ICE’s state-of-the-art facility are given to interested students.

Texas Culinary Academy: Experience and modern 73,000 square foot facilities come together at Texas Culinary Academy, which has been successfully training students in the culinary arts for over fifteen years. A brand new facility recently opened at the school and includes laboratory, kitchens, classrooms, a restaurant, and retail store as well as a dramatic demonstration area that was modeled after Le Cordon Bleu in London and Paris. The school is located in Austin Texas which offers a thriving art, music, and restaurant scene and was recently ranked the second best place to live in the country by both Money* magazine and Men's Journal**. Students in their Culinary Arts and Pâtisserie & Baking programs can learn everything from basic cooking and pastry skills to purchasing and cost control—along with essential business know-how required for success in this competitive field. Financial Aid is available at Texas Culinary Academy. This is the only Cordon Bleu affiliated cooking school in Texas. TCA is rated one of the Best Culinary School in America by our own readers).

California Culinary Academy (San Francisco) California Culinary Academy offers professional training in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and hospitality and restaurant management; with hands-on cooking classes and lecture courses. Instruction in classical and contemporary culinary techniques, business management, wine appreciation, and hotel operations, -- The North Campus: San Francisco’s Culinary Hot Spot Historic California Hall at 625 Polk Street in downtown San Francisco is the nerve center of the Academy and an ideal place to pursue chef training.South Campus: In 2004, California Culinary Academy opened a new 100,000-square-foot South campus at 350 Rhode Island (Rating-- One of the Best Culinary Schools in America by our own readers).

New England Culinary Institute- cooking classes are small (averaging 7:1 student/teacher ratio), and food service operations ensure you ample on-the-job training. The most popular New England Culinary Institute program is their two-year A.O.S. Degree in Culinary Arts. They also offer a one-and-a-half year A.O.S. Degree in Food and Beverage Management, an upper-level one-and-a-half year Bachelor’s Degree and a ten-month Certificate Program. All programs are enhanced by paid, personalized internships in cooking and food management. The school is located in Vermont,(Rated One of the Best Culinary Schools by Emeril Lagasse)

Culinary Institute at Hyde Park NY -- and Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Greystone- With 300 companies recruiting on campus each year, this continues to remain one of the best culinary schools in America. The school has degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts, and a Bachelor's and Associate Degree programs. The school has a high-profile alumni. The Culinary Institute of America (main campus at Hyde Park) is the oldest culinary school in the United States and is a degree-granting college dedicated exclusively to culinary and baking and pastry arts education.

Pennsylvania Culinary Institute was founded in 1986 as a Branch Campus of The Sawyer School. PCI was well-known in the Pittsburgh area and beyond for providing a quality hands-on education and attracted students from across the United States. This school has both a full 15 month "Associate Degree in Specialized Technology in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Program," and an "Associate Degree in Specialized Technology in Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Program". The school has a rich heritage and a storied alumni that includes such epicurean luminaries as Julia Child , Le Cordon Bleu Program brings a century of culinary excellence to the United States, with a partnership with Pittsburgh's International Culinary Academy. (Rating-- One of the Best Culinary Schools)

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts at Minneapolis/St. Paul: Master classical French techniques with modern American technology and earn your Associate of Applied Science degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts in only 15 months. Practical hands-on lab classes follow expert led demonstration classes to create a well rounded education in the culinary arts. Learn theory, table service, wine selection and much more to jump start your future in the Culinary Arts.

French Culinary Institue, NY- French techniques with American inventiveness in a fast-paced curriculum. Distinguished faculty includes the master chefs Alain Sailhac, Jacques Pépin, André Soltner, Jacques Torres and master sommelier Andrea Immer. Visiting-lecturer symposiums featured Marcella Hazan, Alice Waters, and Bobby Flay. rigorous, hands-on program that gets well-trained graduates into the workplace quickly (Rating-- One of the Best Culinary Schools)

Scottsdale Culinary Institute: Scottsdale Culinary Institute offers an Associate Degree of Occupational Studies in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary arts. This intensive program can be completed in as little as 15 months including a three month externship at the location of your choice. The facilities feature state-of-the-art culinary equipment in their eight kitchens, bakery, and meat shop.

Kitchen Academy -- Hollywood: This is a rather new culinary training program. The program has been designed by professional chefs and has been developed to allow students to earn their Professional Culinary Arts Diploma in as little as 30 instructional weeks. The School is located in Hollywood California. Classes are offered morning, afternoon and evening. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Students from Kitchen Academy prepared the meal for 2005 (57th Annual) Emmy Awards.

L'Academie de Cuisine -- Gaithersburg-- Maryland -L'Academie de Cuisine (Maryland) offers cooking classes for adults and children and professional programs for gourmet chefs. Courses include Professional Culinary Development, Fundamental Culinary and Pastry and International Culinary Techniques. L'Academie de Cuisine has grown to become the premier culinary school in the Washington, DC region and recognized among the finest schools in the United States. In 1997, they were very proud to receive the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award of Excellence in the Cooking School category.

Johnson & Wales College -- became the first school in the country to offer a bachelor of science degree in the Culinary Arts in 1993. As a full university, Johnson & Wales is much more than just a "cooking school." They are in fact one of the preeminent culinary colleges in the world. Their associate and bachelor's degree programs have been designed to provide you with the hands-on skills, knowledge, real-life experience and critical thinking skills you need to become the best. Programs in Baking and Pastry, Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition, Food Marketing and Food Services. (Rated One of the Best Culinary Schools in America by Emeril Lagasse) Campus Locations: Charlotte, NC, Denver CO, North Miami, FL and Providence, RI. --- (Ed. Note: Providence Rhode Island now boasts a nationally celebrated culinary scene in a large part to Johnson and Wales College. Numerous students intern and many students move on to restaurants making Providence a great place for food.)

California School of Culinary Arts: Founded in 1994, located in the heart of Southern California - in the historic Playhouse District in Pasadena. The campus offers a fine dining restaurant, café, and a retail store. The school library is an important resource for students and culinary professionals alike and provides computers which allow students to do research over the Internet. There are also 30 teaching labs and 9 classrooms to accommodate our surging enrollment while maintaining smaller class sizes. The labs are equipped and designed for optimal efficiency, usability and comfort.(Rating-- One of the Best Culinary Schools)

Atlantic Culinary Academy: The Atlantic Culinary Academy®, a division of McIntosh College, is located in the Seacoast area of Dover, New Hampshire. McIntosh College is the only regionally accredited college in the United States to offer a Le Cordon Bleu culinary program. Through its Atlantic Culinary Academy®, For more info see: Campus Le Cordon Bleu

Sullivan University (At the National Center for Hospitality Studies)- Louisville, Kentucky - This school also has a 3 1/2 star restaurant, Winston's, that is run by culinary students, a catering facility that serves the community, and a retail bakery. Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies is preparing students for careers in the hospitality field by offering five Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree Majors. Students can earn an Associate of Science Degree in Culinary Arts; Baking and Pastry Arts; Professional Catering; Hotel and Restaurant Management; and Travel and Tourism. The University also offers Diplomas in Professional Cooking and Professional Baking. Rated by Emeril Lagasse as one of the best culinary schools in America.

Find a Local Culinary School Near You

For a large listing of Culinary Arts Schools see the -- Open Directory Reviewed List of Culinary Schools