Le Cordon Bleu is known as the top culinary arts school in the world, according to the school's website. The Better Business Bureau has also awarded Le Cordon Bleu an "A+" rating since 1990. Campuses are spread across the U.S. and around the world, from Paris to Ottawa, Peru and Japan. The institute's training combines classic cooking techniques with modern innovations and international influences. Students who graduate from Le Cordon Bleu go on to become top chefs at premier restaurants and hotels or venture into restaurant managment. The culinary arts school, as of 2011, has more than 100 years of teaching experience. According to the website, over 80 chefs at the school come from the finest kitchens and Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.
Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is regarded as one of the top ranked culinary and hospitality colleges in the world and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges Inc. (NEASC), according to the JWU website. With locations across the United States, the campus in Providence, Rhode Island, is the founding institute, established in 1914. Each culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales focuses on the "hands-on" experience for students. For example, culinary arts students prepare all meals for student dorm residents. Degree options include associate degrees in baking and pastry arts, and a Bachelor of Science in culinary arts and food service management.
The French Culinary Institute in New York, according to the website, is one of the most highly respected culinary schools in the world. The institute offers one of the shortest, but most intense, culinary arts programs in the U.S. The program lasts six months for the daytime program or nine months for night classes. The school focuses on traditional French cuisine and cooking methods. Students can choose coures such as classic culinary arts and classic pastry arts, or the art of international bread baking. Students train every day to total 600 hours at the end of the six month course. The New York school is located in central SoHo in Manhattan.
The Art Institutes, a system of art schools throughout the United States and abroad, offer culinary arts degrees. While the culinary arts degree programs focuses on traditional cooking methods, the school also emphasizes progressive techniques and trends, such as the latest in pastry artistry. The institute also prides itself in teaching students international cooing methods, such as French and Asian preparation methods and creative presentation. The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes is, as of 2011, North America's largest system of culinary programs. Thirty-five of the institutes offer a culinary arts program. Students choose a speciality, such as Italian cusine or pasty design, and can find a degree in their field of choice.