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 Central Oregon Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Umpqua Community College, Central Oregon Community College, and Linn-Benton Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Linn-Benton Community College and Southwestern Oregon Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Southwestern Oregon Community College and Central Oregon Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Western Culinary Institute • Portland, OR
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 1998)
• 9/27/2011
"All in all I was completely satisfied with WCI. I got everything out of the experience that I thought I was gonna get. I learned from some of the best chefs in the area and was taught things that you have a hard time learning with just on the job training."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend WCI for anybody looking to go to culinary school. You will get the same education that you would at other schools that charge at least twice the tuition, not to mention that the program is an accelerated program so you'll be done with school in 14-16 months instead of 21-24 like in other programs. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | As far as I'm aware, the reputation of WCI is great. Since I have graduated from the program they have joined the Le Cordon Bleu group of schools and that brings its own level of prestige and excellent reputation with it. |
| Program Quality | 10 | WCI was a great choice for obtaining my culinary degree. The instructors were quite knowledgeable and professional and truly cared about teaching the students all they could. The cost of the program was also another reason I chose 10. At the time I went to WCI, my degree was around 18k while other schools were charging upwards of 40k for the same degree. |
| Instruction | 9 | From the first day of class until the day of graduation, the chefs at WCI were more than committed to making sure the student chefs got all they could from there time at the school. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I'm not sure how to rate this question, to be honest. I thought that some aspects of WCI were difficult were others were a piece of cake and probably could have been a bit more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was about a 70/30 split between hands on and book work. The majority of the time was definitely spent hands on so the students could actually put into practice the book work that they had to study throughout the program. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | In some cases they were a little flexible. At enrollment, you had the choice to either take the night program or the daytime program. Also, they offered different times for certain classes if you had a job to work around. If by chance you did have an issue with work and school schedules, they would do there best to work with you to make sure you wouldn't have to neglect either work or school. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | When I was at WCI the school was relatively small and only had a few kitchens and a cafe where the students took classes. The year after I graduated the school moved into a new facility in downtown Portland with all the latest and greatest technology in professional kitchens/ |
| Social Life | 5 | I have never been one to be the social butterflies at school. WCI had some after school activities during the time I was there so that students could enjoy the social aspect of going to school. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I'd have to rate this low because when I was attending the school the job placement service consisted of a board that they would place want ads on. The school had a chef/instructor that would write a letter of recommendation if needed, but on top of that there wasn't much else the school did. That may have changed by now but I haven't checked to find out. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I'm not at all in tune with the alumni network at WCI. I have never been one to keep in touch with people who I'm not all that close with. |
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