Welcome to our selection of the best culinary and pastry schools in Florida.
The schools included in our list take between a few months and two years to complete and offer hands-on training that leads to certificates and associate degrees, preparing students for employment in restaurants, bakeries, and other dining establishments.
Before being ready for your first job as a chef, you have to learn a few skills, such as:
- Cooking techniques
- Checking ingredients
- Following safety and sanitation standards
- Planning menus
- Inspecting supplies
- Monitoring sanitation practices
- Ordering and maintaining an inventory of foods
- And more
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage reported by chefs and sous chefs in Florida was $61,880 as of May 2023, while bakers reportedly made $34,190 per year, on average.
As more restaurants and dining places are expected to open across the nation, employment for chefs and head cooks is projected to grow 7 percent by 2034.
Employment for bakers in the United States is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
If you’re passionate about food, we encourage you to read our list and find out more about the culinary and baking schools in Florida.
#1Miami Culinary Institute
About the School
Miami Culinary Institute offers flexible classes and stackable credentials.
The following programs are available at the institute:
- Culinary Arts Management
- Culinary Arts Management Operations
- Chef Apprentice
The Chef Apprentice program is a College Credit Certificate and takes approximately 16 weeks to complete.
The estimated tuition is approximately $1,400.
Areas of study in the certificate program include:
Culinary Terminology and Procedures
- Basic Skills
- Production 1
- Production 2
Major course requirements include:
- Culinary Terminology and Procedures- 3 credits
- Food Production 1- Fundamental Skills- 3 credits
- Food Production 2- American Regional Cuisine- 3 credits
- Garde Manager- 3 credits
Contact Information
- Address: 1780 W 49th Street, Hialeah, Florida 33012
- Phone: 305-237-8888
- Website: https://www.mdc.edu
#2Florida Academy of Baking
Florida Academy of Baking offers students of all skill levels a variety of options to help them take their baking and decorating skills to the next level.
Courses Offered
The following classes are available at the academy:
- Baking Classes
- Boozy Bakes
- Bread Classes
- Cake Decorating
- Chef Night/Date Night
- Chocolate
- Desserts
- Dynamic Duos
- Gluten Free
- International Cuisine
- Seasonal Classes
- Professional Courses
The Professional Baking and Cake Decorating course is an eight-day intensive course.
The course fee is $4,000 and includes a professional tool kit.
Students learn skills such as:
- Baking principles such as weighing, measuring, scaling, converting, and costing recipes
- How to bake, level, torte, dam, fill, and cover a sponge cake
- Using roll-out and paneling methods
- Creating Cake Lace from scratch
- Creating and decorating cupcakes, French macarons, and sugar cookies
- Working with sugar florist paste
- Working with texture mats, silicone molds, sugarcraft & plunger cutters, and cake lace mats
- And many other skills
Contact Information
- Address: 1370 Highway A1A, Suite E, Satellite Beach, Florida, 32937
- Phone: 321-622-6185
- Website: https://www.fabbaker.com
#3Northbridge University
About the School
Previously known as NUC University & Florida Technical College, Northbridge University offers a wide range of academic programs covering various fields of study.
The university provides programs at the following colleges:
- College of Nursing
- College of Technology
- College of Business
- College of Criminal Justice
- Hybrid
- Online
Courses Offered
Those interested in pursuing a career in culinary arts have the following options:
- Diploma in Culinary Arts
- Diploma in Culinary Arts- Spanish
The Diploma in Culinary Arts prepares students for real-world experiences by giving them the opportunity to:
- Learn cooking techniques, baking and pastry, food safety, and kitchen organization
- Gain the skills to work in banquet settings, kitchen lines, or catering operations
- Gain practical experience that prepares students to start working from day one
- Receive leadership and supervisory training to help advance their careers
Students train in high-quality kitchens.
Contact Information
- Address: 1199 South Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32720
- Phone: 855-201-4759
- Website: https://northbridge.edu
#4Hillsborough College
About the School
Currently the fifth-largest community college in Florida, Hillsborough College serves more than 46,000 students each year at five campuses, satellite locations, and online.
Among many other programs, Hillsborough College offers a Culinary Arts certificate that prepares students for work as bakers, pantry cooks, prep cooks, or lead cooks in commercial and institutional settings.
The program also offers supplemental training for those previously or currently employed in the culinary industry.
The certificate applies to the Culinary Management Associate in Applied Science degree.
Courses Offered
Students who want to pursue this certificate take classes such as:
- Safety and Sanitation
- Food Preparation and Managers
- Menu Development and Marketing
- Food Specialty I
- Food and Beverage Control
- Food Purchasing and Storing
- Culinary Nutrition
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 10451 Nancy Watkins Dr, Tampa, FL 33619
- Phone: 813.253.7000
- Website: https://www.hcfl.edu
#5Pensacola State College
Pensacola State College offers online, live online, face-to-face, and hybrid classes that work with different student schedules.
Courses Offered
The Culinary Arts program is designed for students and current culinary and restaurant managers who want to enhance their skills in this industry.
The certificate integrates Pastry and Culinary Skills with actual restaurant experience.
By completing additional coursework, graduates from the Culinary Arts certificate program may complete an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Management.
This degree includes courses such as:
- Introduction to the Hospitality Industry
- Food Service Sanitation and Safety
- Professional Baking
- Culinary Techniques
- Culinary Production
- Catering, Banquet, and Event Management
- Bar and Beverage Management
- Cost Control and Purchasing
- Culinary Management Co-Op
- Classical Cuisine
- Advanced Baking
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1000 College Blvd – Pensacola, Florida 32504
- Phone: (850) 484-1000
- Website: https://www.pensacolastate.edu
#6Marino Moreno Culinary Institute
About the School
Marino Moreno Culinary Institute offers a variety of training programs for those who want to start a career in the culinary field.
The final part of the training consists of an externship in a realistic environment where students can apply the theoretical and practical skills they gained during their studies.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the institute:
- Certificate in Culinary Arts
- Certificate in Patiserie and Baking
- A.A.S. Degree in Culinary Arts
- A.A.S. Patisserie and Baking Degree
The Certificate in Culinary Arts includes the following core curriculum requirements:
- Culinary Foundations
- Purchasing Product Identification and Cost Control
- Introduction to Patisserie
- Restaurant Rotation
- And more
The Certificate in Patisserie and Baking includes the following requirements:
- Introduction to Patisserie
- Viennoiserie and Laminated Dough
- Purchasing, Product Identification
- Introduction to Baking
- Classic Patisserie
- Advanced Patisserie
- Externship
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2135 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145
- Phone: 305 858 0561
- Website: https://mmci.edu
#7The Chef Apprentice School of the Arts
About the School
The Chef Apprentice School of the Arts has several Florida school locations that help students hone their culinary talent and build skills.
Externship locations are located in Miami and Orlando.
Instead of learning in a school kitchen with a group of students, students receive one-on-one instruction from a professional chef with years of experience.
They will be able to prep the kitchen, prepare the food, and present the meal to the dining public.
The school also offers flexible scheduling options that allow students to create customized learning experiences that best suit their needs.
The six-month programs are designed to help students work their way through the culinary world.
The college actually operates at a fraction of the cost of traditional culinary schools.
Tuition is under $15,000.
There are no hidden fees and costs.
Courses Offered
The CASA Gourmet Chef program breaks down into three core areas:
- Home Study
- Bootcamp
- Externship
Students receive 24 hours of instruction on techniques and recipes, featuring six pro chefs.
Bootcamp is hybrid learning with a home curriculum and a private chef instructor either at the student’s home, the private chef’s restaurant, or live online.
Once they are ready, students gain real-world experience through 100 hours of externship.
The course plan includes the following topics:
- Introduction to Culinary Arts
- Menus, Measuring, and Recipes,
- Equipment Identification
- Stocks, Sauces, and Soups
- Cooking Methods
- Vegetable Cooking Methods
- Meat and Game Identification
- Meat Alternatives
- And more
Contact Information
- Phone: (872) 224-4322
- Website: https://casaschools.com
#8Keiser University
Keiser University offers culinary programs that give students the opportunity to advance their careers with a culinary arts AS degree.
Courses Offered
The following objectives are included in the program:
- Follow a daily production schedule, identify purchasing specifications, and follow a baking formula.
- Receive, store, and issue food in a cost-effective manner.
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills and fine motor skills to prepare hot and cold foods in conjunction with bakery products for presentation.
- Work in a safe and sanitary manner.
Create a professional atmosphere that is in harmony with the ACF’s Culinarian’s Code.
Keiser University Center for Culinary Arts is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
Contact Information
- Address: 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota, Florida 34240
- Phone: 888-534-7379
- Website: https://www.keiseruniversity.edu
#9Florida State College at Jacksonville
About the School
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers a Culinary Arts Technical Certificate program designed to provide career-oriented students with basic culinary arts, food service management principles, and training for supervisory and management positions in the food service industry and hospitality.
Culinary college coursework includes an emphasis on communication, management, human relations, and leadership skills.
Through the culinary internship program, students gain college credit.
The program is offered at FSCJ’s Downtown campus during the day and evening.
The 14-month program includes courses such as:
- Baking
- Food Production
- International Foods
- Dining Room Management
- Food and Beverage Management
- Supervision and Personnel Management
- Culinary Management Internship
- Culinary Nutrition
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 101 W. State Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
- Phone: (904) 646-2300
- Website: https://catalog.fscj.edu
#10Northwest Florida State College
About the School
Northwest Florida State College offers a Culinary Management Associate in Science designed to support the tourism industry by preparing students for employment in the culinary and restaurant industry.
Students participate in classroom instruction and culinary lab experience in the following courses:
- Sanitation and Safety
- Maintenance and Operation of Equipment
- Methods of Preparation and Cooking
- Perform Different Types of Food Services
- Nutrition
- Baking
- Dining Room and Beverage Management
The following class options are available:
- Culinary Management A.S.
- Culinary Arts CCC
- Culinary Arts Management Operations CCC
Contact Information
- Address: 100 College Blvd E, Niceville, FL 32578
- Phone: 850-502-2895
- Website: https://www.nwfsc.edu
Schools Summary Table
Culinary & Pastry Average Salary in Florida
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$31K
|
|
|
$62K
|
|
|
$98K
|
Culinary & Pastry Salary by Metro Area in Florida
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 490 | $65,660 | $31.57 | $100,040 | $31,510 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 310 | $64,700 | $31.10 | $94,350 | $31,460 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 400 | $57,030 | $27.42 | $86,560 | $30,170 |
| Gainesville, FL | 160 | $57,720 | $27.75 | $80,680 | $28,070 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | 70 | $52,570 | $25.28 | $83,800 | $28,810 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 930 | $61,270 | $29.46 | $90,330 | $34,990 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 200 | $54,950 | $26.42 | $83,670 | $30,540 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,690 | $59,000 | $28.37 | $100,570 | $30,910 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 600 | $78,070 | $37.53 | $123,830 | $39,450 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 1,000 | $65,620 | $31.55 | $96,820 | $35,500 |
| Ocala, FL | 140 | $57,340 | $27.57 | $89,970 | $29,910 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,280 | $65,870 | $31.67 | $101,570 | $29,040 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 310 | $57,580 | $27.68 | $90,080 | $31,040 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 190 | $52,050 | $25.03 | $78,210 | $27,810 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 230 | $56,560 | $27.19 | $90,000 | $30,420 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 360 | $61,980 | $29.80 | $98,090 | $29,790 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 130 | $61,030 | $29.34 | $94,060 | $31,340 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 180 | $60,910 | $29.28 | $92,180 | $30,710 |
| Sebring, FL | 30 | $62,040 | $29.83 | $87,810 | $33,790 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 200 | $59,320 | $28.52 | $82,500 | $29,140 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,460 | $68,490 | $32.93 | $94,880 | $44,160 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 110 | $64,940 | $31.22 | $87,420 | $30,830 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read our selection of the best culinary and baking schools in Florida, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
This is an important step, so take your time and make sure you choose a school that matches your budget and learning style.
