Arizona · Culinary Arts and Related Services

Best colleges for Culinary Arts and Related Services in Arizona

Ranked by graduate earnings

Arizona Culinary Institute, Estrella Mountain Community College and Yavapai College award the most Culinary Arts and Related Services degrees and certificates in Arizona: 133, 86 and 62 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 10 Arizona colleges offer Culinary Arts and Related Services and award 456 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Culinary Arts and Related Services program prepares students for a variety of careers in the culinary field, focusing on essential cooking techniques and management skills. This program is ideal for those passionate about food and…

Institutions
10
offering CIP 12.05
States offered
51
with a program page
Degrees / yr
456
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$29,223
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
1
College Scorecard
Median net price
$39,067
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
37%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Cooks, Restaurant
$40,070
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top institution, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Arizona Culinary Institute
Scottsdale Private for-profit · Certificate
$29,22313391%$39,067$9,500

Colleges awarding the most Culinary Arts and Related Services degrees in Arizona

Top 6 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Arizona Culinary Institute
Scottsdale Private for-profit
133$29,223
2Estrella Mountain Community College
Avondale Public
86Not reported
3Yavapai College
Prescott Public
62Not reported
4Cochise County Community College District
Sierra Vista Public
13Not reported
5Mohave Community College
Kingman Public
11Not reported
6GateWay Community College - Central City
Phoenix Public
5Not reported
Show the other 4 Arizona colleges offering Culinary Arts and Related Services
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Central Arizona CollegeCoolidgePublic49
Pima Community CollegeTucsonPublic46
Scottsdale Community CollegeScottsdalePublic31
Arizona Western CollegeYumaPublic20

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Cooks, Restaurant (SOC 35-2014).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+14.9%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~250,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$36,830
typically No formal educational credential

Top skills

Critical ThinkingMonitoringSpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionActive Learning

What Cooks, Restaurant earn in Arizona

Jobs in Arizona
30,870
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$40,070
median $38,670
Best-paying metro
$40,910
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

Related careers

Cooks, Restaurant
$40,070 avg · 30,870 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
$46,350 avg · 21,450 jobs
Bartenders
$54,030 avg · 14,840 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
$41,350 avg · 7,170 jobs
Chefs and Head Cooks
$60,330 avg · 4,080 jobs
Bakers
$40,010 avg · 4,000 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Culinary Arts and Related Services programs in Arizona.

Which Arizona colleges award the most Culinary Arts and Related Services degrees?+

Arizona Culinary Institute (133 graduates a year), Estrella Mountain Community College (86 graduates a year) and Yavapai College (62 graduates a year) award the most Culinary Arts and Related Services degrees and certificates in Arizona, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 10 Arizona colleges offer Culinary Arts and Related Services.

Which Culinary Arts and Related Services program in Arizona has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Arizona Culinary Institute tops the list at $29,223. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Cooks, Restaurant earn in Arizona?+

The average annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Arizona is $40,070 (median $38,670), across about 30,870 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Culinary Arts and Related Services program?+

The Culinary Arts and Related Services program prepares students for a variety of careers in the culinary field, focusing on essential cooking techniques and management skills. This program is ideal for those passionate about food and…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, monitoring, speaking, active listening, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Cooks, Restaurant?+

The national job outlook is about +14.9% growth with around 250,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A No formal educational credential is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Culinary Arts and Related Services in other statesKansasNebraskaOhioNew HampshireWisconsinMinnesotaUtahWyoming

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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