A private institution founded in 1914, Johnson and Wales is one of the most prestigious culinary arts schools in the country. The Providence, Rhode Island, university is the largest food service educator in the world. Its curriculum includes hands-on training at area restaurants as well as front-of-house courses designed to teach practical and managerial skills needed to run a food service business.
The university offers associate and bachelor's degrees in culinary arts as well as baking and pastry arts, food service management and food service entrepreneurship, all accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The university also features a culinary nutrition program that is the first to receive accreditation from the American Dietetic Association.
Founded in 1980, Vermont's New England Culinary Institute is regarded as a leading culinary institution. It runs a number of restaurants in the Montpelier area, including the Main Street Grill and Bar and the La Brioche Baker and Café. Its curriculum is centered on the principle of "learning by doing," with students working in the institute's restaurants. Small classes and practical experience increase student participation and allow for more individual attention, a crucial part of the school's theory.
The school offers certificates in basic cooking, baking and pastry arts, as well as associate and bachelor degree programs in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and hospitality and restaurant management, all accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is in Hyde Park, New York, and employs the world's largest staff of American Culinary Federation Certified master chefs. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the school also operates on-campus restaurants, including St. Andrews Café and the Escoffier Restaurant, which features French cuisine.
The school offers associate and bachelor degree programs in culinary arts or baking and pastry arts, each featuring 18-week internships at institute-run and other institute-approved restaurants. The school operates branch campuses and an international campus in Singapore, with noted chef Anthony Bourdain among its alumni.
Founded in 1963, Connecticut's Manchester Community College has a reputation for its specialty programs, including its culinary arts program. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and offers associate degrees in culinary arts, with students earning advanced placement at prestigious culinary institutions, such as Johnson and Wales University and the New England Culinary Institute.
Its program includes study in all culinary arts areas, from basic and advanced food preparation to baking and pastry arts, and features a 300-hour internship program that gives students experience in a restaurant setting.