If you’re passionate about cooking delicious meals that bring people together and you want to turn this into a lucrative career, it’s time to find the cooking school that will prepare you with the credentials and skills required by restaurants and other food-serving establishments.
To help you in this process, on this page, we have compiled information about the best culinary and pastry schools in your state.
The schools included in our list offer hands-on training, certificate programs, and associate degrees, preparing you for a career as station chef, sous chef, pastry chef, restaurant manager, catering manager, and other food service specialist roles.
The programs focus on teaching skills such as: food preparation, culinary safety and sanitation, baking principles, contemporary cuisine, and more.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage reported by chefs and sous chefs in South Carolina was $55,240 as of May 2023 while bakers reportedly made $33,550 per year, on average.
Employment for chefs and head cooks across the United States is projected to grow 7 percent by 2034.
As more restaurants and dining places are expected to open, skilled cooks and chefs will be needed in order to prepare high-quality dishes.
Employment for bakers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, also faster than the average for all occupations.
Before being ready to apply for your first job in a professional kitchen, you have to learn some essential skills.
You can start this journey by completing a certificate or degree program offered by one of the schools in our list.
Program duration ranges between a few months and a few years, depending on the type of credential you want to pursue.
Many schools offer flexible schedules, so you will be able to keep your job while preparing for a new career.
#1Culinary Institute of the South
About the School
The Culinary Institute of the South at Technical College of the Lowcountry opened in fall 2021 in Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place.
The institute has room for more than 300 students.
The facility has more than 30,000 square feet and features six academic classrooms, two teaching kitchens, a show kitchen, a baking lab, a lecture theater, The Clist Cafe, and a teaching restaurant.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available:
- Restaurant Cook Skills Certificate
- Healthy Cooking & Baking Certificate
- Baking & Pastry Arts Associate Degree
- Hospitality & Tourism Management Associate Degree
- And more
A Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate program is also available and includes courses such as:
- Introduction to Baking and Pastry
- Introduction to Cakes and Decorating
- Hot and Cold Desserts
- Artisan Breads
- The Hospitality Industry
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC, 29902
- Phone: (843) 525-8207
- Website: https://www.tcl.edu
#2Greenville Technical College
About the School
The Culinary Institute of the Carolinas at Greenville Technical College provides students with basic food knowledge and culinary techniques for classical and current trends.
Courses are built on a foundation of competencies required for the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission.
The program includes courses such as:
- Culinary Arts Technology- Associate in Applied Science
- Baking and Pastry Arts- Certificate in Applied Science
- Culinary Education- Certificate in Applied Science
- Hospitality/Tourism Management- Associate in Applied Science
- Lodging and Tourism Management Certificate in Applied Science
- And more
The Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate includes courses on:
- Bakeshop Production
- Sanitation
- Purchasing for Hospitality
- Artisan Breads
- Food and Beverage Controls
- Plated Desserts
- Advanced Bakeshop
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box 5616, Greenville, SC 29606
- Phone: (864) 250-8000
- Website: https://catalog.gvltec.edu
#3Horry Georgetown Technical College
About the School
Horry Georgetown Technical College offers training programs for those who want a career in cooking or the food business in general.
Students receive training in a real restaurant operation at Fowler Dining Room.
Menus are created using a wide range of cooking techniques focusing on taste, texture, color, and creativity.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the College:
- Baking and Pastry Arts, A.A.S.
- Culinary Arts Technology, A.A.S.
- Hospitality & Tourism- Hotel, Restaurant & events Management, A.A.S.
- Kitchen and Food Preparation Techniques
- Professional Cooking
The Culinary Arts program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation.
Contact Information
- Address: 2050 Highway 501 East, Conway, South Carolina 29526
- Phone: (843) 347-3186
- Website: https://www.hgtc.edu
#4Spartanburg Community College
About the School
Spartanburg Community College offers a Culinary Arts program that prepares students for jobs with the finest local restaurants or to start their own culinary business.
The following pathways are available:
- Culinary Arts Certificate
- Culinary Arts Technology Associate Degree
The Culinary Arts Certificate includes courses such as:
- Introduction to Baking and Pastry
- Advanced Bakeshop
- Nutrition
- Introduction to Culinary Arts
- Sanitation
- Introduction to Garde Manger
- Hospitality Management Concepts
- And more
In total, this program includes 36 credits.
Contact Information
- Address: 107 Community College Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29303
- Phone: 864-592-4600
- Website: https://www.sccsc.edu
#5Trident Technical College
About the School
Trident Technical College offers the Culinary Institute of Charleston.
The following programs are available here:
- Baking and Pastry
- Culinary Arts
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Marine Stewardship
Students have access to:
- Expertly equipped facilities at two campuses
- Experienced chefs and instructors
- Hands-on training in the institute’s restaurants and labs
Courses Offered
The Culinary Arts pathway includes the following programs:
- Advanced Culinary Arts Certificate
- Baking and Pastry Certificate
- Cake Decorating Certificate
- Culinary Arts Certificate
- American Bistro- Workforce Training program
- Classical Cooking Foundations
- Fundamentals of Culinary Arts
- Introduction to Baking
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 7000 Rivers Ave., Charleston, SC 29406
- Phone: 843-574-6111
- Website: https://www.tridenttech.edu
#6Applied Technology Center Rock Hill
The Applied Technology Center offers a variety of training programs that prepare high school students for real-world settings.
Courses Offered
The Hospitality and Tourism pathway includes the following courses:
- Culinary Arts Management I- a program for students in grades 10 and 11
- Culinary Arts Management 2- a program for grades 11 and 12
- Work-Based Learning
The Culinary Arts Management 1 program offers students the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from the basic food and nutrition/sports nutrition course and advance into an in-depth study of the professional food industry.
The Culinary Arts Management 2 program applies and expands upon the skills learned in Culinary Arts 1.
Students gain valuable experiences in the following: cuisines, culinary basics, culinary mathematics, dining room operations, food production techniques, and more.
The Work-Based Learning program coordinates high school studies with a job in a field related to academic or technical education standards that provides hands-on learning with a participating business.
Contact Information
- Address: 2399 West Main Street, Rock Hill SC 29732
- Phone: 803-981-1100
- Website: https://atc.rock-hill.k12.sc.us
#7CC Pearce Culinary School
About the School
The CC Pearce Culinary School provides a pathway to financial stability for students and teaches life skills.
The training program involves preparing meals for the Cooking for Kids program.
Classes at the culinary school run for six weeks each, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The school includes hands-on food preparation, ServSafe food safety instruction and certification, and employment readiness lessons.
Programs come at no cost to the student because they are funded through scholarships.
More than 200 students have finished the school since 2003.
The program has an annual average of more than 40,000 free meals prepared for Greenville-area children.
Contact Information
- Address: 525 S. Academy St., Greenville, SC 29601
- Phone: (864) 235-3403
- Website: https://www.projecthost.org
#8Swofford Career Center
About the School
Swofford Career Center provides hands-on education in food production while helping students develop professionalism and proficiency in cooking, cost control, nutrition, and sanitation.
Students develop not only cooking skills, but also creativity, leadership, and discipline.
They test for valuable ProStart and ServSafe Certifications.
Students in the second and third levels have the opportunity to earn college credit through Spartanburg Community College.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the center:
- Baking & Pastry- a program for students in grades 10-12
- Culinary Arts I- a program for grades 11-12
- Culinary Arts II- a program for grades 11-12
Approximate fees for the Baking & Pastry program are $200.
Students receive fast-paced, hands-on instruction in a professional kitchen.
Fees for the Culinary Arts I program add to $70.
An additional $45 is paid by students who choose to pursue dual enrollment.
Fees for the Culinary Arts II program sum up to $85 plus $45 paid by dual enrollment students.
Contact Information
- Address: 5620 Hwy. 11 Inman, SC 29349
- Phone: (864) 592-2790
- Website: https://www.swoffordcareercenter.org
#9International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach
About the School
The International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach at Horry-Georgetown Technical College offers world-class facilities and instructors.
Many culinary students are placed in jobs directly after graduating from the program at one of the over 1,800 restaurants in the Grand Strand.
Three classes are taught by masters in their craft.
Students learn real chef techniques to cook and bake perfectly when they go back home to their kitchen.
Culinary, baking, and pastry boot camps are available.
Students take classes such as:
- Cooking Baking/Decorating
- Baking Brunch
- Cooking Locally and Seasonally
- ABCs of BBQ
The ICI is also offering Youth Summer Camps and Classes ranging from Food Science to Brookie and Cookie Baking to Teen Snack Attack.
Contact Information
- Address: 1200 N. Oak St. in Myrtle Beach
- Phone: 843-448-3010
- Website: https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com
#10Bob Jones University
About the School
Bob Jones University is one of the only Christian universities to offer a degree in culinary arts.
Students learn how to create delicious foods from scratch, prepare food using different cooking methods, and build complex flavors.
Students gain valuable, hands-on experience in various settings to master their culinary skills.
Courses Offered
Course outline includes:
- Cooking Methods
- Introduction to the Hospitality Industry
- Composition & Rhetoric
- Dining Room Operations
- Nutrition
- Food & Beverage Cost Controls
- Principles of Food Production
- Cuisine & Culture
- Foundations of Economics
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29614 USA
- Phone: 864-770-1311
- Website: https://www.bju.edu
Schools Summary Table
Culinary & Pastry Average Salary in South Carolina
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$42K
|
|
|
$64K
|
|
|
$88K
|
Culinary & Pastry Salary by Metro Area in South Carolina
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 540 | $66,010 | $31.74 | $85,200 | $45,120 |
| Columbia, SC | 250 | $59,430 | $28.57 | $79,730 | $39,910 |
| Florence, SC | 60 | $48,920 | $23.52 | $75,470 | $21,700 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 280 | $62,070 | $29.84 | $81,650 | $43,180 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 210 | $71,380 | $34.32 | $104,710 | $48,360 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 170 | $60,930 | $29.29 | $78,470 | $43,610 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 100 | $60,370 | $29.02 | $76,550 | $45,230 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
If you’re passionate about baking and cooking and you want to turn this passion into a full-time career, South Carolina cooking schools can prepare you with the skills and credentials that will get you job-ready in less than two years.
Now that you have read our selection, it’s time to continue the research and decide what format best fits your schedule, budget, and career aspirations.
