The most obvious pro in any debate about the worthiness of culinary school is the education itself. San Francisco Cooking School, Photo: Patricia Chang Education
What lies ahead is a look at the pros and cons of going to culinary school.
They all agreed that education is valuable, but their opinions differed on how to get it for the greatest value. There are passionate arguments on all sides.Ĭhefs, restaurateurs, educators, students, and newly minted line cooks from across the country shared with Eater their thoughts on the value of culinary school. It depends on a lot of factors, including the costs of culinary school, the alternatives, career aspirations, and temperament. So is going to culinary school worth it? There's not one right answer to the long-debated question.
While the salary does improve with time, cooking is rarely going to be a lucrative profession. All this for a career path that traditionally starts with a $10 an hour job doing back-breaking work for insane hours and over holidays. The best-known culinary schools in the country come with price tags that range anywhere from $35,000 to $54,000 for a two-year associate's degree or up to about $109,000 for a bachelor's degree.