Best institutions to study Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager
A program that prepares individuals to serve food to customers in formal or informal settings.
9 U.S. institutions graduated 129 Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 12.0507, a specialization of Culinary Arts and Related Services (CIP 12.05), and leads most directly to the First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers occupation (BLS SOC 35-1012).
About Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager programs
A program that prepares individuals to serve food to customers in formal or informal settings. Includes instruction in the nutritional, sensory, and functional properties of food and its ingredients; food services principles; table and counter services; dining room operations and procedures; service personnel supervision and management; communication skills; business math; safety; and sanitation.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Food Service program, part of Culinary Arts and Related Services, prepares individuals to serve food in various dining environments, from casual to formal settings. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in food service management and hospitality, focusing on customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Learn more about Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager →
Students will gain essential skills in areas such as food service principles, dining room operations, and customer service. Coursework emphasizes communication, business math, safety, and sanitation, equipping graduates to excel in the food service industry.
Credentials awarded
What Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Award of less than 12 weeks65 graduates / yr · 2 institutions50%
- Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years50 graduates / yr · 5 institutions39%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year14 graduates / yr · 2 institutions11%
Graduates over time
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 299 |
| 2013 | 262 |
| 2014 | 221 |
| 2015 | 280 |
| 2016 | 257 |
| 2017 | 118 |
| 2018 | 132 |
| 2019 | 98 |
| 2020 | 133 |
| 2021 | 84 |
| 2022 | 82 |
| 2023 | 80 |
| 2024 | 75 |
| 2025 | 129 |
Top 9 institutions for Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WIPublicAward of less than 12 weeks | 51 | 25% | — | $25,304 |
| 2 | Tulsa Technology Center Tulsa, OKPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 35 | 81% | — | — |
| 3 | Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland, WIPublicAward of less than 12 weeks | 14 | 50% | — | — |
| 4 | Kaskaskia College Centralia, ILPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 11 | 49% | — | — |
| 5 | Mid - State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids, WIPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 10 | 52% | — | — |
| 6 | William Rainey Harper College Palatine, ILPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 4 | 48% | — | — |
| 7 | Richland Community College Decatur, ILPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 2 | 60% | — | — |
| 8 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, ILPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 1 | 36% | — | — |
| 9 | Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WVPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 1 | 42% | — | $26,399 |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Culinary Arts and Related Services field (CIP 12.05) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 4 states
Where Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager graduates come from. Each state links to all Culinary Arts and Related Services programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 3 | 75 | Milwaukee Area Technical College51 / yr |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 35 | Tulsa Technology Center35 / yr |
| Illinois | 4 | 18 | Kaskaskia College11 / yr |
| West Virginia | 1 | 1 | Pierpont Community and Technical College1 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 35-1012, First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Food Service program can pursue careers as First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers. The job outlook is promising, with a growth rate of 6% and approximately 183,900 annual openings. The median wage for this occupation is $42,010, typically requiring a high school diploma or equivalent.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 12.0507
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workersprimary SOC 35-1012 | $44,080 | +6.0% Faster than average | ~183,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.
- Train workers in food preparation, and in service, sanitation, and safety procedures.
- Assign duties, responsibilities, and work stations to employees in accordance with work requirements.
- Present bills and accept payments.
- Perform various financial activities, such as cash handling, deposit preparation, and payroll.
- Supervise and participate in kitchen and dining area cleaning activities.
Tools and technology used
Other Culinary Arts and Related Services specializations
The 11 other 6-digit CIP codes under Culinary Arts and Related Services (CIP 12.05).
- Culinary Arts/CIP 12.0503
Chef Training 11,808 graduates / yr353 institutions - Baking and Pastry Arts/CIP 12.0501
Baker/ Pastry Chef 5,575 graduates / yr193 institutions - Cooking and Related Culinary ArtsCIP 12.05004,439 graduates / yr153 institutions
- Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/CIP 12.0504
Manager 1,663 graduates / yr115 institutions - Food Preparation/CIP 12.0505
Professional Cooking/ Kitchen Assistant 1,230 graduates / yr56 institutions - Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCIP 12.0599312 graduates / yr17 institutions
- Culinary Science/CIP 12.0509
Culinology partial data261 graduates / yr8 institutions - Institutional Food WorkersCIP 12.0508187 graduates / yr13 institutions
- Bartending/CIP 12.0502
Bartender partial data171 graduates / yr8 institutions - Meat Cutting/CIP 12.0506
Meat Cutter 48 graduates / yr10 institutions - Wine Steward/CIP 12.0510
Sommelier limited data12 graduates / yr2 institutions
Common questions
What types of awards can I earn in this program?+
You can earn an award of less than 12 weeks, at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year, or at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.
How many colleges in the U.S. offer this program?+
There are 9 colleges in the U.S. that offer the Food Service program.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in speaking, active listening, critical thinking, and mathematics, among others.
What is the job outlook for graduates?+
The job outlook is faster than average, with a growth rate of 6% and about 183,900 annual job openings.
What is the CIP code for Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager?+
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager is CIP 12.0507 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Culinary Arts and Related Services (CIP 12.05). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to serve food to customers in formal or informal settings. Includes instruction in the nutritional, sensory, and functional properties of food and its ingredients; food services principles; table and counter services; dining room operations and procedures; service personnel supervision and management; communication skills; business math; safety; and sanitation.
How many institutions offer Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager programs?+
9 U.S. institutions reported Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 4 states, awarding 129 credentials in the year. That is 0.5% of all Culinary Arts and Related Services graduates.
How much do Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers occupation, which Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager most directly leads to, pays a median of $44,080 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Culinary Arts and Related Services field report median earnings of $26,399 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
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.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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