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Chef/Owner Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chef/owner. Chef/owners usually study culinary arts, business, or hospitality management. 45% of chef/owners hold a associate degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 4,255 real chef/owner resumes to see exactly what chef/owner education sections show.
The most common colleges for chef/owners are the Culinary Institute of America and the Culinary Institute of America.
There are also many online chef/owner courses to help get the education required to be a chef/owner.
There are certain chef/owner certifications that you should consider. These chef/owner certifications include Certified Food Manager (CFM) and Food Safety Manager Certification.
What education do you need to become a chef/owner?
What degree do you need to be a chef/owner?
- Associate, 45%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a chef/owner?
- Culinary Arts, 49%
- Business, 12%
- Management, 4%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for chef/owners
Chef/Owner Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Culinary Institute of America | 39.29% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 30.09% |
| New England Culinary Institute | 3.01% |
| Newbury College | 2.83% |
| University of Phoenix | 2.65% |
Best majors for chef/owners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 49.2% |
| 2 | Business | 11.6% |
| 3 | Hospitality Management | 7.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.2% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 2.7% |
Best colleges for chef/owners
The best colleges for chef/owners are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Boston University.
A chef/owner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chef/owners. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become chef/owners.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for chef/owners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chef/owners
The most affordable schools for chef/owners are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for chef/owners are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for chef/owners.
U
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chef/owners
The hardest universities for chef/owners to get into are Stanford University, Cornell University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for chef/owners are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for chef/owners based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,471
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chef/owners
The easiest schools for chef/owners to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and life university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chef/owner without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for chef/owners.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
3. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
94%
SAT Average
979
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
Average chef/owner salary by education level
| Chef/Owner education level | Chef/Owner salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,665 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,470 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,462 |
Chef/Owner Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025