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Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Paul College and MCTC.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Minnesota State.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of HCC and Minnesota State.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at HCC, South Central College, and Minnesota State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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St. Olaf College • Northfield, MN
Studying English/Education (completion in 1998)
• 8/13/2011
"Upon graduation I felt prepared for any career. I felt that nothing could compare to the stress of my senior year."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The degree I received prepared me for a wide range of careers. The school is highly regarded by employers and graduate schools. Many of my classmates went to ivy league schools after graduation. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school I attended was a small private school. It was well known for music, but it's English program was also well known. |
| Program Quality | 8 | From the degree I am able to do the supervisory and administrative portions of the job. Cooking is the easy part for most cooks on the slope - it is being able to manage others and file paperwork properly that is the major issue. |
| Instruction | 7 | Although I did not go to school for cooking, the instruction I received at my school prepared me for a variety of positions in many fields of employment. An english/education degree prepared me for supervising others and writing reports for all of the jobs I have had since graduating. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I had to write many 5-20 page papers and reports during all four years of school, since it was an English degree. I also had to student teach and supervise youth for my Education minor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My experience was unique and incorporated all styles of learning. As an english major I was immersed in book learning, but as an Education major we were always learning and using different techniques relating to teaching others. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | When I was in school the internet was just emerging, so classes were only offered on campus -- like most schools at the time. They do offer summer classes and an intensive one-month class during the month of January called an Interim. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The class ratio is 1:15, so I knew the teachers very well. Also, the library is top rated, so I never had to worry about finding my materials for research. |
| Social Life | 8 | I joined different athletic groups, which allowed me to develop bonds with fellow students with similar interests. We were also put in groups for our entire freshman year so that we had a network of friends to follow for the rest of the four years. The retention rate at my school was in the 80th percentile. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They informed me of many job fairs my senior year. Also, they gave me information about work in the area after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I hardly ever use the alumni services at my school now. However, after I graduated the school was always helpful when I needed transcripts or other paperwork. |
University Of Minnesota • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Cooking (completion in 2000)
• 9/25/2011
"I was pretty satisfied. I got a full college experience and the education I wanted."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This was a pretty great chef school. They also had many other programs that just made it a great experience. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The University of Minnesota has a moderately good program. It isn't considered one of the best, but it does its purpose. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was a great program. I really loved it. |
| Instruction | 10 | The quality of the instruction was phenomenal. I learned a lot, and it really prepared me for my career. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I've always been pretty good at cooking. This course challenged me a little. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some of it was hands on, but some of it was book learning. It was really up to you. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They had some flexibility. Not a huge choice, but about the amount you would expect. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The resources at the University of Minnesota are probably the best in state. |
| Social Life | 9 | I had a great social experience. They had a great athletics program, and also many social events. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Well, they helped me a bit. I feel like I did quite a bit myself though. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They send me an email every now and then. Sometimes they give me a phone call. Nothing out of the ordinary. |
Le Cordon Bleu • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2001)
• 12/21/2011
"I love the classrooms and instructors. This is an awesome school and would do it all over again. I am a satisfied student and they taught me well!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend this school to others pursuing this career. They have a nice culinary arts program where you can put your skills to work! |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I think the current reputation of the school is awesome. I know it's a very popular school and many chefs attend for their education. The major that I chose is perfect for me and I love what I do. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school was a short but educational program that taught me the things I needed to succeed. I also purchased the required tools to make the perfect pastry desserts. |
| Instruction | 10 | Great instructors who taught us well. Very well organized schedule and fun classes. |
| How Difficult | 7 | At first it was hard because I'm not the best at math. I know this career requires knowledge of numbers because we do a lot of measuring. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I love that there were plenty of books but the hands-on is the best part of the school. I think you learn better when you actually get to try things out. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I think the school scheduling is pretty flexible. You could either do part- or full-time. I opted for full-time. It was very convenient overall. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I think the classroom space and facilities are great. It's just enough room to work with and it's a great school. I couldn't ask for more. |
| Social Life | 5 | There could be more organized events and parties. I love to make up desserts and do creative foods and desserts and I think if we would of had more parties, it would be fun to make more of our creative desserts. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I rate this pretty high because they will help you find a job. They will also teach you how to build your resume to become an appealing candidate. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The support was good. They helped us in finding careers by teaching us the right way to interview. |
Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts--Minneapolis/St Paul • Mendota Heights, MN
Studying Patisserie And Baking (completion in 2007)
• 1/25/2012
"The program was great. The financial aid department was the only part I didn't like."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school, but with one caveat. I would make sure any prospective student really looks at how to pay for it before enrolling. Either save ahead of time or shop around for loans. The financial aid department does not have the best interest of the student in mind. They are more concerned with getting as many students enrolled as possible, so they don't get the best deals on interest rates. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Everyone I talk to in the industry respects Le Cordon Bleu's reputation. Employers like to hire graduates of the program. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The curriculum was very comprehensive. We covered every aspect of pastry and baking, and I felt very prepared for any career in the field. |
| Instruction | 8 | All of my instructors had worked in the industry prior to teaching at the school. For example, one was a head baker at a local hotel in St. Paul, and another worked at La Brea Bakery and was the Executive Pastry Chef at Charlie Trotter's. Another owned her own restaurant. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Academically, it wasn't very challenging for me. I had already completed all of the general education credits, and the baking/patisserie classes were mostly hands on, with little bookwork. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As you would expect of a baking program, it was mostly hands on. All of the baking classes were in the kitchen, doing the baking. We did study theory and some of the science/math of baking, but most of it was actually making food. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Classes were only offered Monday through Friday. For patisserie and baking, general ed classes were in the morning and P&B classes were in the afternoon. Classes went all year. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The main building was new and included a nice library with new computers. The kitchens were all new with good, working equipment; plenty of stovetops, ovens, proof boxes, mixers, etc. There was also a student lounge. However, I did have one class in the old building, and that classroom was subpar; the ovens were old, there weren't enough working mixers or cake pans (a bad thing, since the class was Cake Formulas), and the classroom was very crowded. I should note that I don't think they are holding classes in the old building any longer--I believe they have completely moved into the new building. |
| Social Life | 2 | There are no athletics, organized social events, etc., for students. There were in-school Iron Chef competitions and an ACF team. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Career services did a great job with externship placement and initial job placement after school (if you were planning on staying in the Twin Cities or going to Las Vegas or Chicago), but they don't seem to have a lot of contacts where I live. I also don't receive any job update emails anymore (I did for about a year or 2 after graduating). |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Le Cordon Bleu has a large alumni network, with each school having its own chapter. However, there isn't much support and they don't do a lot of events; just a newsletter every so often. |
Hennepin Tech • Eden Prairie, MN
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2014)
• 3/25/2012
"Did not like it. Could have been a lot better."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Definitely not. I would not recommend people even go to school for culinary arts. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | It is supposed to be a good school. They engage in false advertising. |
| Program Quality | 1 | My credits don't transfer to other schools. The education was mediocre. |
| Instruction | 1 | They let us do open-book tests for some classes. The teachers were not qualified. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I barely studied, yet I graduated with a 3.7 GPA. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly lab classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | You can go whenever you want. Night, weekend, online, and day classes are all available. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | Big school with a lot of rooms. Resources are dry, techy and uneducated themselves. |
| Social Life | 9 | I met a lot of cool people. I still talk to one friend. |
| Placement Services | 2 | They didn't help me find a job. It is easy in this field to get one. |
| Alumni Network | I don't pay attention. I'm not on a mailing list. |
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