Telling somebody in the restaurant industry, “It’s hard to find good help these days,” is like saying “the sun can burn you,” or “the presidential election was a tad bit contentious this year.” It’s a simple truth and one statement that will surely be met by a knowing look and a conspiratorial nod. And here’s another fact: in the next 10 years, the National Restaurant Association predicts there will be an additional 1.7 million new industry jobs to compete for. A sure-fire way to position yourself to snatch one is by attending a top culinary school.
We started with a list of more than 1,000 schools and educational programs, eventually (and painstakingly) whittling the group down to 22 institutions. The result was a varied collection, from baccalaureate degrees awarded by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Johnson & Wales University, to diploma programs at the Institute of Culinary Education and the International Culinary Center, to associate degrees and certification programs at schools around the country. If you didn’t check it out before, be sure to see who made the cut.