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Best Culinary Arts Schools in California

2023 Best Culinary Arts Schools in California

7 Colleges
$27,848 Avg Salary
$22,011 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Culinary Arts School for You

Culinary Arts is the #141 most popular major in California with 408 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Culinary Arts Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 7 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Culinary Arts Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Culinary Arts Colleges.

Top California Schools in Culinary Arts

Our 2023 rankings named Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles the best school in California for culinary arts students. Located in the city of Pasadena, Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

On average, culinary arts graduates from Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles take out $6,811 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $344.

Full Culinary Arts at Institute of Culinary Education - Los Angeles Report

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#2

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Cerritos College is a great place for culinary arts students. Located in the large suburb of Norwalk, Cerritos College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Cerritos College

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#3

CET, San Jose

San Jose, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means CET, San Jose is a great place for culinary arts students. Located in the large city of San Jose, CET, San Jose is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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Out of the 7 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Antelope Valley landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Lancaster, UAV is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, culinary arts graduates from UAV carry an average student debtload of $9,220.

Full Culinary Arts at University of Antelope Valley Report

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#5

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Out of the 7 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Riverside City College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Riverside City College is a large public school located in the large city of Riverside.

Full Culinary Arts at Riverside City College Report

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With a ranking of #6, Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for culinary arts students. Located in the large suburb of Clovis, Fresno Institute of Technology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Culinary Arts majors at Fresno Institute of Technology take out an average of $13,440 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Culinary Arts at Institute of Technology

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Los Angeles Trade Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Culinary Arts Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, culinary arts graduates from Los Angeles Trade Technical College carry an average student debtload of $7,633.

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Best Culinary Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Culinary Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 158
Oregon 66
Nevada 61
Hawaii 111
Alaska 10

One of 4 majors within the area of study, culinary arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Cosmetology 107,895
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 7 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to U.S. Army Europe Images.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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