California · Culinary Arts and Related Services

Best institutions to study Culinary Arts and Related Services in California

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
56
offering CIP 12.05
States offered
51
with a program page
Degrees / yr
2,366
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$21,509
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
2
College Scorecard
Median net price
$24,518
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
41%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Cooks, Restaurant
$45,020
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 2 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Institute of Culinary Education
Pasadena Private for-profit · Certificate degree
$22,75934077%$6,777
2Institute of Technology
Clovis Private for-profit · Certificate degree
$21,5093873%$24,518$9,500

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 California

Jobs in California
152,250
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$45,020
median $44,880
Best-paying metro
$49,390
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Cooks, Restaurant
$45,020 avg · 152,250 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
$52,810 avg · 130,190 jobs
Bartenders
$44,780 avg · 71,470 jobs
Food Service Managers
$84,300 avg · 33,180 jobs
Chefs and Head Cooks
$69,130 avg · 31,670 jobs

Common questions

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

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Institute of Culinary Education tops the list at $22,759. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Cooks, Restaurant earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant in California is $45,020 (median $44,880), across about 152,250 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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