Last Updated on December 14, 2022
Right here on Collegelearners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on top culinary schools in illinois, culinary school chicago cost, best culinary schools in chicago, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
cooking schools in chicago il
career field.
Degrees to support the culinary arts career
Education track options open to the culinary arts field include intense short-course offerings leading to a diploma and two-year courses leading to an associate’s degree or full-blown four-year programs for those seeking a bachelor’s degree. While the shorter programs center around food preparation, the four-year courses and on-line courses lean toward a focus in hotel and restaurant management.
Chicago Panorama.
The right program for the right reason
Selecting the education program that is right for you depends on what career track you intend to follow. Climbing the career ladder from preparation chef to the top career rung of regional chef puts you in the kitchen baking, cooking, and directing the staff. Others may choose a track in hotel and restaurant management. That first choice helps you select an education track from the wide variety of programs offered. Education programs leading to the chef title should have new, state-of-the-art cooking facilities and a teaching staff with credentials and contacts in the field. Externships, offer off-campus experience and allow you to get known in the working community.
Chicago job market
Graduates are likely to find a job they love in any of the thousands of restaurants, resorts, schools, and hotels in Illinois. Typical food industry salaries in Illinois range according to position, city, and experience. A Registered Dietitian earns an average annual salary of $59,160; a first-line supervisor will earn about $33,000; a head chef will earn approximately $55,450; and a restaurant cook earns an average salary of around $29,190.
2019 wage data sourced from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Current wage conditions in your area may vary.
On Campus Culinary Arts Programs
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
6301 South Halsted Street
Chicago, Ill. 60621
773-602-5000
ccc.edu/colleges/kennedy/
Bakery/Pastry chef
Culinary Arts
Chef Training
Food and Beverage Management
Restaurant management
NCACS Accredited
Chicago State University
9501 South King Drive
Chicago, Ill. 60628
773-995-2000
csu.edu
Hospitality Services Management
Food and Nutrition Studies
NCACS Accredited
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
30 East Lake Street
Chicago, Ill. 60601
312-553-5600
ccc.edu/colleges/washington/
Hospitality Services Management
NCACS Accredited
Loyola University of Chicago
820 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Ill. 60611
312-915-6000
luc.edu
Foods and Nutrition Studies
NCACS Accredited
Roosevelt University
430 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Ill. 60605
312-341-3500
roosevelt.edu
Hospitality Services Management
NCACS Accredited
Robert Morris College
401 South State Street
Chicago, Ill. 60605
312-935-6800
robertmorris.edu
Culinary Arts Associate Degree
NCACS Accredited
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (Le Cordon Bleu)
361 West Chestnut
Chicago, Ill. 60610
312-944-0882
chefs.edu/locations/chicago
NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS
Culinary Arts
Chef Training
Pastry Cher/Bakery
Food and Beverage Management
Restaurant Management
Northwestern College
4829 North Lipps Avenue
Chicago, Ill. 60630
312-777-4220
nc.edu
Hospitality Services Management
The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College at City Colleges of Chicago
226 West Jackson Blvd
Chicago, Ill. 312-726-2419
frenchpastryschool.com
Bakery and Pastry Certification
The International Culinary Schools-Chicago
350 North Orleans Street
Chicago, Ill. 60654
artinstitutes.edu/chicago/
Culinary and Restaurant Management
Professional Cooking
Culinary Arts
Fox College
6640 South Cicero
Bedford Park, Ill. 60638
708-444-4500
foxcollege.edu
Travel and Hospitality Management
Kendall College
900 North Branch Street
Chicago, Ill. 60622
312-752-2000
kendall.edu
Culinary Arts
Catering
Bakery and Pastry
Convention and Meeting Planning
Food and Beverage Operations
Hotel Management
International Hospitality Management
Le Roches School of Hospitality Management
NCACS Accredited
Online-based programs
The Art Institutes of Pittsburgh – Online Division
www.aionline.edu/
Hotel and Restaurant Management
MSCHE Accredited
Johnson and Wales University
www.jwu.edu/campus.aspx?id=25934
Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management
Culinary Arts & Food Service Management
NEASC Accredited
Penn Foster Career School
www.pennfoster.edu/
Hotel and Restaurant Management
DETC & CHEA Accredited
Sullivan College
www.sullivan.edu/
Beverage Management
CCSACS & ACF Accredited
best culinary schools in chicago
The almost 13 million people living in Illinois get to enjoy food at a variety of ethnic and fine dining restaurants throughout Illinois. Many Illinois residents live in or near one of the state’s largest cities, which include Chicago, Aurora, and Rockford. Since Chicago is fairly close to the Wisconsin border, Illinois also draws in a number of Wisconsin residents looking for good food.
The cost of living in Illinois is on par with the national average, so you can live on a decent salary in most parts of the state. Illinois is full of high-quality restaurants like Peel Wood Fired Pizza, Lotawata Creek, and 54th Street Bar and Grill.
School Information:
There are 23 culinary training schools in Illinois, the majority of which are located in or very close to Chicago. Most of these schools offer Associate’s degrees and certificates, and a few offer Bachelor’s degree programs. Overall, the average cost of tuition in Illinois is $9,497, which is partially offset by the average scholarship award of $2,765. With an average acceptance rate of 58%, it is clear that there are some schools with competitive admissions processes.
Culinary Schools in Illinois
Total Schools:23
Undergraduate Programs:23
Graduate Programs:2
Average Acceptance Rate:58%
Average Tuition Cost:$9,497
Average Loan Amount:$4,905
Average Scholarship Award:$2,765
Average Classroom Size:23 Students
If you want to earn a certificate in culinary arts, you can plan on spending about one year in school. You’ll need two years of full-time study to earn an Associate’s degree. Regardless of which degree path you choose, you will cover many of the same topics.
Some of the primary topics covered in culinary school include food and hygiene safety, basic cooking skills, and menu planning. Food safety is one of the most important parts of a culinary program, since you need to be able to meet state standards for food preparation safety. Basic cooking skills include knife skills like julienning, dicing, and mincing; protein preparation methods like roasting, poaching, and grilling; and menu planning for taste and health.
In addition to required culinary courses, you may have the chance to take courses that help you in your future career. Those that want to become restaurant owners, for example, may take business courses.
Employment Information:
After completing your culinary degree or certificate, you have to decide how you would like to apply it to your career. Most chefs work in restaurants, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, you may also be able to work as a caterer or private chef. While these two settings tend to be slightly less hurried than a restaurant setting, they also involve more erratic hours.
There are many large culinary employers in Illinois, including Gate Gourmet, Landry’s Restaurants, and Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano. However, if you have business skills, you can also look into opening your own restaurant or catering business.
Like most other states, Illinois does not have any licensure or certification requirements for its cooks and chefs. This allows you to begin your career in the culinary field as soon as you have graduated from your program of choice.
While American Culinary Federation certification is not necessary, it is a good way to demonstrate your expertise in a specific field. You must pass a comprehensive written and skills exam to get this license.
Salaries for chefs vary widely depending on your level of experience and education. However, in general, executive chefs earn the highest salaries in a kitchen. They are followed by sous chefs and line chefs. The average salary for cooks in Illinois is $20,700 per year (ONet, 2012). Chefs can anticipate earning an average salary of $38,500 per year (ONet, 2012).
The general job outlook for chefs and cooks in Illinois is strong. ONet expects the demand for chefs to increase by 2% each year between 2010 and 2020. In that same time frame, the demand for restaurant cooks is expected to increase by 21% (ONet, 2010). This is much higher than the national average.
Culinary Schools in Illinois
City Colleges of Chicago – Kennedy – King College
(Chicago,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $5,561 Tuition Cost
• $2,129 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
College of DuPage
(Glen Ellyn,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Arts
• $9,285 Tuition Cost
• $1,966 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
College of Lake County
(Grayslake,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $6,720 Tuition Cost
• $1,311 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
Danville Area Community College
(Danville,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $5,700 Tuition Cost
• $3,127 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Elgin Community College
(Elgin,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• Culinary Arts
• $8,688 Tuition Cost
• $1,309 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Harper College
(Palatine,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $8,736 Tuition Cost
• $2,968 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
Illinois Central College
(East Peoria,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $7,050 Tuition Cost
• $2,053 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
John Wood Community College
(Quincy,IL)
• Culinary Arts
• $6,990 Tuition Cost
• $2,197 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Rural Campus Setting
Joliet Junior College
(Joliet,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• $7,061 Tuition Cost
• $1,442 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
Kaskaskia College
(Centralia,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• $5,728 Tuition Cost
• $2,349 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Rural Campus Setting
Kendall College
(Chicago,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• $17,059 Tuition Cost
• $5,304 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts – Chicago
(Chicago,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $12,912 Tuition Cost
• $2,459 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Lincoln Land Community College
(Springfield,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts
• $4,608 Tuition Cost
• $2,283 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
McHenry County College
(Crystal Lake,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Food Preparation
• Culinary Arts
• $8,010 Tuition Cost
• $1,116 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Rural Campus Setting
Moraine Valley Community College
(Palos Hills,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts
• $7,740 Tuition Cost
• $1,728 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
Rend Lake College
(Ina,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $4,275 Tuition Cost
• $2,787 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Rural Campus Setting
Richland Community College
(Decatur,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $6,390 Tuition Cost
• $1,748 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Robert Morris University Illinois
(Chicago,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $22,200 Tuition Cost
• $8,274 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Saint Augustine College
(Chicago,IL)
• Culinary Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $8,760 Tuition Cost
• $2,537 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Southwestern Illinois College
(Belleville,IL)
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• Culinary Arts
• $6,804 Tuition Cost
• $3,567 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago
(Chicago,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• Culinary Food Preparation
• Culinary Arts
• $17,496 Tuition Cost
• $1,915 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
Triton College
(River Grove,IL)
• Baking and Pastry Arts
• Culinary Arts and Chef Training
• $7,680 Tuition Cost
• $2,495 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Suburban Campus Setting
University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign
(Champaign,IL)
• Culinary Arts
• $12,603 Tuition Cost
• $6,527 Scholarship and Financial Aid Awards
• Urban Campus Setting
