Entertainment Magazine: Dining: Culinary: Education: Top 10 Culinary Schools

Top Ten Cooking Schools in U.S. and Canada

Study by leading food editors, culinary writers, and restaurateurs

Recently, over one hundred culinary industry leaders were asked to name and rank the best professional cooking schools in the U.S. and Canada. They developed a list of the top 10 best culinary schools and colleges in the US and Canada, according to those culinary experts.

Culinary schools may prepare- but don't be oversold

While there are many quality culinary schools, some have come under scrutiny for tactics used to convince potential students of unobtainable career goals.

Private, for profit, culinary education is a big business based on quantity over quality in some cases. About 12% of students attend a for-profit institution. The tuition is often higher than public colleges, but for-profit schools are often more focused on career preparation than a general education. Expectations of a high paying job after graduation is often overblown.

Competition for the best chef positions usually do not go to entry level, recent graduates- either from public or private schools. Experience, and proven skills, still command the higher pay and top chef jobs.

They key is getting into the right company immediately after graduation and working up the ladder to earn the best employment opportunities over years of dedication to perfect ones cooking techniques. The stand out chef gets the accolades.

Popular cooking TV shows like "Iron Chef" (Food Network), "Hell's Kitchen" (Fox Broadcasting) and "Top Chef" (Bravo) have fueled the cooking industry and accelerated new culinary curriculum among major private colleges and universities.

Cooking schools cannot promise students will get good paying jobs, or any job, after graduation. No school, not even public colleges, guarantees that.

Students should expect to learn new and unique culinary skills that can give the advantage over untrained cooks. Then, develop specialty dishes that will give the edge over everyone else competing for the same jobs.

Request complimentary information in search for schools

There are dozens of US and Canadian culinary schools seeking students in almost every major city. Most of them offers complimentary information at no obligation.

Compare several colleges and universities. Understand that their goal is to enroll, not get you a job. Decide which school gives you the best opportunity to get the skills you'll need to succeed. Some help with financial aid or grants.

Evaluate each school- not just by the flashy pamphlets or brochures. Visit the campuses, if you can. Meet with advisors. Ask if you can sit in on a class. Walk the campus and talk with other students.

While it may not be possible for an on-site visit, search the many forums, tweets and blogs for feedback from current and former students. Even the best rated schools, though will have its opponents. So consider any negative feedback may or may not have merit.

Three in Ten Americans Love to Cook

Two in Five Prepare Meals at Home Five or More Times per Week

Whether it be a soufflé, a spaghetti carbonara or just a perfectly flipped and folded omelet, for many Americans there is that one dish that is their signature one or the one they dream of perfecting.

While four in five U.S. adults (79%) say they enjoy cooking, just three in ten (30%) say they love it and almost half (49%) say they enjoy it when they have the time. One in five Americans say they either do not enjoy cooking (14%) or do not cook (7%). Continue reading about Americans cooking at home.

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