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 TCC, HCC, South Texas College, and Colin College.
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 South Texas College, El Paso Community College, HCC, and El Centro.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Lee College, El Centro, St Philips College, and HCC.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Texarkana College, Culinary Institute Inc, HCC, and Austin Community College District.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Odessa College, Texarkana College, and Galveston.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Del Mar College, Lee College, Texarkana College, and Odessa College.
Working as Chefs and Head Cooks in Texas
Chefs and head cooks are responsible for supervising the daily operation of a food service establishment like a restaurant. They are skilled cooks and have an important function in developing recipes and menus, preparing food items, ordering food supplies, overseeing other staff, and planning the serving process. Read a detailed Chef and Head Cook job description and schools overview.
Chefs and head cooks may find useful career resources at Texas Chefs Association
State Requirements
Chefs and head cooks do not have to obtain any specific licenses or certificates if they wish to work in the State of Texas.
Chefs and head cooks may enhance employability by obtaining cerificates from American Culinary Federation.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Austin Community College • Austin, TX
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2009)
• 9/28/2011
"I feel like ACC provided me the best education I could have received in the culinary field. I very much enjoyed the classes, the professors, and my fellow students. It was also very affordable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | ACC provides a better education than the other culinary schools in Austin, and at a fraction of the cost. They teach their students to cook with pride, passion, and creativity. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The culinary program at ACC is arguably one of the best programs in Austin. Their program affords more opportunities around Austin than any of the more expensive culinary schools. |
| Program Quality | 10 | ACC's program focused equally on quality of food and presentation. I worked with many chefs that went through other programs who didn't know the basics of cooking, only how make plates presentable. |
| Instruction | 10 | All of the professors are accomplished chefs who have been in the industry for many years. They are more than happy to take extra time reinforcing core concepts and making sure every student understands something before moving on. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Having worked in the restaurant industry for years before getting my degree, I was able to pick up on much of the material quickly. However, the required dietary classes were very tedious and difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | 99% of the culinary program is hands-on in the kitchen. There are only a few classes that are taught entirely outside of the kitchen. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Most classes are offered at more than one campus at all hours of the day, but several of the more advanced classes are only offered once or twice per semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The kitchens at ACC provide the latest, state of the art equipment, plenty of space for all of the students to work, and supplies to prepare any dish you can come up with. Learning materials are readily available, and the professors are very flexible in the times they can help students outside of class. |
| Social Life | 5 | While the culinary program was a very tight-knit group, ACC had very little school spirit, no official athletic teams, and very few organized social events. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My school was very helpful in helping me find jobs in upscale restaurants where I was able to use my skills to their fullest. Unfortunately, many of these jobs were temporary assignments, lasting only a few months. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | ACC assists their students in finding jobs in their career fields while in college and after graduation. The students themselves are also a tight-knit group and help each other find jobs whenever possible. |
Culinary Arts At Del Mar University • Corpus Christi, TX
Studying Baking (completion in 2010)
• 10/3/2011
"The learning environment is functional. The teaching style could be more help based."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is flexible and respectful of your ongoing jobs. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Most of the surrounding restaurants send their employees here for training. It's held in high regard by local businesses. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Materials are hard to come by and so work is done slowly. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instruction is understandable. Teaching styles are favorable for a beginner. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Mastering two things at once is difficult. Trying to measure up with senior students can be challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The only way you learn is to fail. The teachers show you the steps, and then you must do it yourself. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | If you desire a specific schedule you can request changes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | This is a big university and has many resources available. |
| Social Life | 5 | You are put in classes that may demand social outings. You have to learn in a team. |
| Placement Services | 6 | They give you internship opportunities. They also hold mixers with out of state and in state catering companies. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Most of the alumni have moved to cities with greater Job opportunities. There are rarely functions that help us get to know each other. |
Le Cordon Bleu Of Culinary Arts Of Dallas • Dallas, TX
Studying Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts (completion in 2010)
• 10/24/2011
"Overall I was very satisfied. I had an excellent curriculum, which taught me a thorough understanding of the basic foundations and skills of cooking. I got to work in real kitchen/restaurant settings with high quality equipment and ingredients and had great instructors that prepared me for a great job and continue to support me as an alum."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I do recommend others attend as it will prepare you once you graduate. Staff will help you find a job and establish yourself in the marketplace. There are many resources and much support while you are a student and this continues after you graduate. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The school has a great reputation, and usually the harder you work and the more effort you put forth the more you receive back. Many big name chefs recommend Le Cordon Bleu as it is one of the bigger names for chefs schools in Dallas. I know because of all the jobs that considered me once I had a certificate from their school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I am very satisfied because they had a lot of guidance and support once we received our certificate. They helped get us interviews with potential employers. I also thought is was very thorough in teaching the skills and the foundation of cooking. It had great instructors. |
| Instruction | 8 | Again, I thought the instructors were very good and of high quality and they prepared me. After I graduated, I got a job within weeks. I especially liked the combination of academic and hands on learning. There was also a library and online catalog. The only complaint was that sometimes the professors didn't have time to answer questions because we were moving at such a fast pace, but all in all I was very satisfied. I believe it also helps if you know a little of the basics before you start, that way you are not completely lost. |
| How Difficult | 7 | 1. The difficulty with culinary Arts as with anything else depends on how easy it comes to you and how familiar you may already be to the subject. There was a variety of culinary subjects covered in a short time, which made it a little harder at times. The work load was heavy and set at a fast pace to teach students a lot in a short amount of time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say my program, which was designed to be more hands on, was just that. It also had a good amount of lecture practicums, but there was a little more hands on and lab work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I received a one year certificate, in which you had to follow the course layout. In my case there was no online option. There were some weekend and evening options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school is well equipped with large classrooms for lecture and with kitchens, a computer lab, a library, a dining restaurant, and many admin offices. You also have access to instructors and you have online support which lets you view your class schedule and your academic profile, grades, etc. |
| Social Life | 8 | There are no athletics, etc. as this is not a four year university, but there are other social experiences such as events held at a dining restaurant at which many students work. There is also a lot of social conversion and social events among students and teachers because we are all here for a similar goal and headed in the same direction. I think it has a good social experience for the cooking world. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They offer a lot of support for students and alumni. Their career services department helped me find a job. I was able to find work after graduating and I continued to stay in contact with many of the instructors and others that I graduated with. This school works hard to help those in their program. |
Texas Culinary Academy • Austin, TX
Studying Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts (completion in )
• 11/3/2011
"Austin, TX is a great place to go to school. Culinary school is too expensive to pay out of state tuition."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It will be a good experience. You will meet professors with military training and they will teach you discipline. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It provides a good learning experience. Most students intern on cruise lines. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Military professors were strict. They made us do what we had to do, and do it right. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned a lot and I ate a lot. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The books were thick and had unknown culinary terms, at least they were unknown to me. No homework outside of class made it easy to forget important notes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Academics were usually book style, but kitchen labs were the best. The physical learning experience leaves an impression in my memory for some odd reason. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Actually, it was not flexible at all. I was put on academic probation for being tardy. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | |
| Social Life | 3 | No school spirit. There were no athletic teams. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | They were friendly, but the office assistant did not send me the deferment papers for my loan and it was put in default. |
University Of Texas At Austin • Austin, TX
Studying Chinese (completion in 2009)
• 11/3/2011
"My years at this school were very satisfactory. I have a degree in a difficult subject that not many choose and I have made many friends and memories along the way."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | As mentioned before, I do not know my school's reputation for the Chinese program. That leads me to believe that it is not necessarily the best school for pursuing a degree in Chinese. Therefore, I would not recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | I didn't come to the University of Texas to study Chinese. I just picked it after being undeclared for several semesters. I do not know the reputation of the Chinese program. | |
| Program Quality | 4 | I don't feel as if I received adequate training in my desired field. I received about the same amount of training in my high school. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors knew what they were doing. They provided ample information and good practical training. However, there was barely any emphasis on career preparation. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Chinese is not an easy language to master, let alone learn, since it is so different that English. It was definitely a challenge to learn to read and write Chinese at such a level. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The Chinese program at my school is a mix of both. Students are expected to read and recite Chinese passages, as well as be able to write a multitude of Chinese symbols. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The class schedule is very flexible. A student can pick their own classes at whatever time is convenient, pending availability. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | There are plenty of resources available to the students. There are several libraries around campus and study groups for almost all of the classes. |
| Social Life | 10 | The social life here is amazing. Sports events are always high in spirit, there are organized social events on any given day, and there are parties every weekend. |
| Placement Services | 2 | My school's job placement assistance offered a counselor and many pamphlets on different career fields. However, their methods seemed impractical and didn't help me much. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | There are plenty of alumni that have graduated from my school that still offer support through financial means. However, it would seem as if the majority of them are off doing their own things. |
Texas Culinary Academy • Austin, TX
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 1999)
• 3/14/2012
"I learned a lot at school. The placement program helped me find the jobs I wanted."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Before, I would have been hesitant to recommend it. Now that it's Le Cordon Bleu, it has an excellent reputation and program and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a serious student. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Again, Texas Culinary Academy had an okay reputation. Now that Le Cordon Bleu has taken over, it has a MUCH better reputation. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was a fine school when I attended. Now Le Cordon Bleu has taken over and it's a much better school. |
| Instruction | 5 | Some of the teachers were great. The programs could have been better organized. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was relatively easy academically. The work load was tremendous. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school provided 50/50 book learning to hands-on learning. I preferred the hands-on classes by far. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Evening classes were provided. Weekend classes were also provided. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facility was pretty good when I was there. It has since been remodeled and re-vamped and is excellent. |
| Social Life | 10 | There was great camaraderie amongst my fellow students. The social events we had were fun, especially the cocktail parties. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Surprisingly good. There were many job opportunities available to me before and after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | There is great referral for job opportunities amongst alumni. It wasn't as structured when I attended; it's better now. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.