Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Chefs
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Moraine Valley Community College, The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, College of DuPage, and Triton College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Augustine College, Kennedy-King College, The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, and Triton College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Saint Augustine College, Rend Lake College, Kennedy-King College, and College of Lake County.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, Danville Area Community College, and John Wood Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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City Wide College • Chicago, IL
Studying Culinary Arts And A Minor In Management (completion in 1982)
• 8/11/2011
"I got my degree, so I can't complain. I am very satisfied with my school, as it gave me what I needed to succeed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would have them go to Cordon Bleu, since they are most accessible now. It's a school with a better reputation, and graduates have an advantage. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It's not exactly Cordon Bleu, but I got my degree in the field. I will say that I am successful. |
| Program Quality | 9 | They taught me well, and the professors were great. The college also put me in an internship program. |
| Instruction | 6 | This is a career you learn with hands on training. As you grow in this field, you add your own twists to food. The curriculum is just the basics, you have to learn the rest. |
| How Difficult | 2 | It was easy for me. It was all hands on training for the most part. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly everything I learned was hands on. My management classes were, of course, very textbook oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I can't really recall - it was so long ago. We didn't have online back then. I took most of my classes in the morning. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Class size was small. Our our laboratories were kitchen stations. My academic advisor scheduled my classes for me every semester. |
| Social Life | 5 | It was a college - there were sport teams like baseball, softball, tennis, etc. There were student clubs too. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They helped me with my first job at the hospital, when I was a senior. It was an internship. I ended up staying with the hospital for 4 years before I opened up my first restaurant. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They help with finding a job out of school. I haven't heard from them since, though. |
Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts • Chicago, IL
Studying Culinary Operations (completion in 2006)
• 9/8/2011
"I feel the $35,000 I invested in attending school was money well spent. The faculty, facilities, and training are worth even twice the price."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I love the school, the quality of training, and the commitment of the faculty to excellence in what they do. This was a great school to attend. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Le Cordon Bleu is known and respected worldwide. Being a Le Cordon Bleu trained Chef has gotten me lots of unsolicited jobs offers. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The Culinary Operations programs is excellent. We spend a lot of time actually cooking and learning how the professionals do it in real life. The academic training was top notch as well. Things I thought I was good at I learned to do even better. |
| Instruction | 10 | The majority of my instructors were working professions in the culinary field. I had two class that were taught by Executive Chefs from five-star restaurants in the Chicagoland area. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I considered myself a professional quality cook when I entered the program and was challenged right away by the level of skills that were expected of students in order to complete the programs. The program was immensely challenging and productive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program covers the management and operations side of the industry very well. Lots of time was spent on skills and actual cooking and management of taste profiles and pairings. It was an excellent mix of the two. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I attended classes at night. I was still working full-time, and was able to complete my degree in two years without any scheduling conflicts. When I needed to do lab work (kitchen) during the day I had no problems getting in to complete my assignments. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The classroom facilities were excellent, as good as the university I received my BS degree from. The lab's facilities, the training kitchens, are professional quality and contain current equipment that is kept spotless. |
| Social Life | 8 | Being an evening student, I didn't interact much with the day students, but the school had activities directed at evening students and we were invited to all day-time events. Additionally, we also had events specifically planned for the evening student body. |
| Placement Services | 10 | My past two jobs are the direct result of actions by the job placement office. In fact I was hired on my first job while still in school. The placement office sent me on the interview. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Both of the jobs I've held in the culinary field were the direct results of alumni connections & networking and the assistance of the job placement office. My current boss is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, (not of the Chicago campus) and gave a lot weight to my Le Cordon Bleu training in hiring me and in deciding my pay package. |
The Art Institute • Chicago, IL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2007)
• 9/11/2011
"I left school feeling that I had a strong foundation. This is a career where you need to either be a very quick learner or get a strong foundation of skills and tools. AI gave me those tools."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | AI definitely offers a clear image of life in the kitchen. Obviously there is nothing to genuinely prepare you for kitchen life, but I think this was pretty close! |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Though this program is relatively new, I think that it has already garnered a strong reputation. I would say that the training had a reputation that was on par with a school like Le Cordon Bleu, for example. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I had excellent training at AI. In addition to getting excellent hands-on training, it is really nice to be in a major metropolitan cuisine area like Chicago to get taste experience! |
| Instruction | 7 | I was grateful to have taken the Associates program which allowed me a faster exit while still allowing me a lengthy time to get experience in. I also think that the stress on time management was excellent and prepared me for the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I don't really think that this program had any more work than your average academic course load. Obviously we had challenges and there were times I got frustrated, but other than that there was nothing that was too terribly impossible to bear. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think that the school was very well balanced. Everything hands-on was also balanced with some sort of book or text lesson to ultimately round out the learning process. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I do think that the school was lacking in flexibility. But that is the nature of the program, I feel. This is a career where being on time, and getting the things done that you need to do, is essential. I think that AI allowed enough schedule customization while still requiring some degree of structure. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I think that despite being a newer program, AI had excellent access to libraries and general resources of that nature. I was always able to go and get help from a teacher when I didn't understand something and if I couldn't find someone at school to help me, chances were I could find the answer in a book. The labs were also excellent. There was a high expectation of cleanliness and organization in the labs. |
| Social Life | 7 | Generally, I would stick to myself, but I definitely felt a camaraderie with my classmates. Maybe it's just the Midwest personalities, but I always felt welcome and I am proud to say that I attended my school. The sense of "school spirit" isn't necessarily the kind that involves waving banners and painting the school colors on your chest. Our school has a more grounded pride. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I thought that the school did a decent job of getting us career placement. I think the greatest asset that we had was the training that they gave us in general hospitality and restaurant management. Having a well rounded understanding of restaurant operations is essential when applying for jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The greatest thing that AI offered me was being so close to Chicago. There are always alumni you hear of working in the area, and that can allow for networking and possible interviews. |
Washburne Culinary Institute • Chicago, IL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2012)
• 9/7/2011
"The only problem I've had is with the local area."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Cheap school. Great all around experience. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It's a top culinary school and is one of the cheapest. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The chefs there really know their stuff. |
| Instruction | 10 | My instructors have really helped me in my journey of becoming a chef. I'm looking forward to advancing my career. |
| How Difficult | 2 | Since I've been involved in culinary arts since high school, it's relatively easy now. I know a lot about foods and cooking techniques. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'm in the kitchen most of the time. Most bookwork is also done in the kitchen. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Classes are usually between 8 and 2. So therefore, it's flexible for those with evening jobs. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | It needs to move off the Kennedy King campus. Kennedy King is terrible |
| Social Life | 10 | I've attended and worked all the school events. They all introduced me to highly regarded chefs. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't really know that much about the alumni. The creator of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce attended Washburne, though. |
University Of Illinois • Champaign, IL
Studying Food Science (completion in 2011)
• 10/10/2011
"I enjoyed my time there and the program they have. I hope to be able to give back to it when I am older. It has a promising future."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | For in-state tuition the price can't be beat. I would definitely recommend the program and the instructors. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I am not sure but I believe it is a good program. I would have to double check. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The program itself is good. The department it is in does not fit and hurts the quality of the degree. |
| Instruction | 6 | I had some great teachers and some who were not so great. I am overall very satisfied with the teaching, but there is room for improvement. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I had a relatively easy time with it. But some classes were more challenging than others. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They offered a lot of lab courses and gave us plenty of hands on projects. It was up to the students to seek additional hands on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I only had problems with a couple of classes. No problems otherwise. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Had some great kitchens with fantastic supplies to get a great understanding of what a chef works with. I hope they can keep up the great stuff. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had a lot of fun there. Met a lot of great people and future coworkers. I think it helps to be in a class with friendly people. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I was offered a lot of great help and people were available to me. I should have utilized them more! |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I was able to talk to a lot of great food companies that were seeking graduates. They have a strong career fair there. |
Kendall College • Chicago, IL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 1997)
• 1/30/2012
"I am grateful for the experience I had there, especially as a young adult, new to the business. I think that most of what I learned is second nature and I use it every day."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is one of the best schools in the country. Students in schools near where I live are nowhere near as well-educated as I was at their level in the business. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Kendall was, and still is, one of the nation's best culinary schools in the country. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Kendall was an excellent school and taught me all the basics I needed to advance in my career. |
| Instruction | 10 | All the instructors were professional chefs and have had at least twenty years experience. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I did not find my education there difficult, as long as studying and basic reviews were done. I did find it challenging though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands-on learning was probably 80% of our time, if not more than that. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | My schedule was packed with classes and I never had fewer than 14 or 16 credits. I had taken as many electives as possible to broaden my overall learning experience, which I greatly benefitted from. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | We were just coming into the computer age so it was nowhere near what it is today. Our resources were limited, but our instructors were always available with their own libraries. |
| Social Life | 8 | We had no athletics, nor did we need any. We had limited school functions, but we tried to base any of them around food experiences, such as restaurant dining, trade shows, chef book signings, etc. |
| Placement Services | 5 | When I went there, they had a decent program. I had heard that Kendall has vastly improved and nearly tripled their student body and also their alumni base making their contact list of graduates that much better. |
| Alumni Network | I am not a big partaker in the alumni program for my school. |
Harold Washington • Chicago, IL
Studying Health Code Certificate (completion in 2007)
• 3/28/2012
"It was required to work, but I guess it could have been a lot worse."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The certification program was quick and easy. It wasn't too expensive and it was pretty flexible in terms of location and schedule. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The program was highly recommended. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The only schooling I did was for a necessary certificate. |
| Instruction | 5 | The teachers were OK, but it was all basic stuff. |
| How Difficult | 3 | It was common-sense material. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a mix between taught info and stuff that was hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Classes were offered all the time. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | They had the basic kitchen setups to demonstrate what was being taught. |
| Social Life | 1 | There was not much of a social aspect to the school. |
| Placement Services | 2 | They didn't offer too much in the way of job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | No alumni got involved. |
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