If you live in Virginia and you want to start a career in the culinary field, this page is for you.
Here 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 students for careers as station chefs, sous chefs, pastry chefs, restaurant managers, catering managers, and other related jobs in the field.
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 head cooks in Virginia was $54,950 in May 2023.
Bakers reportedly made $34,280 per year, on average.
These professions are expected to grow in the future at a rate that is higher than the average for all occupations.
Employment for chefs and head cooks across the United States is projected to grow 7 percent by 2034.
As more restaurants and dining places open, the public’s demand for high-quality dishes will grow.
Employment for bakers in the United States is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034.
If you’re passionate about food and cooking and you want to turn this passion into a career, we encourage you to read our list.
#1Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute
About the School
The Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute offers a career-focused culinary school built to prepare students for workforce entry in four or six months.
MCAI delivers a comprehensive curriculum spanning culinary arts, cooking methods, classical French cuisine, baking and pastry, ServSafe Food Safety, international cuisine, culinary math, inventory, and business acumen.
Certificates in Accelerated Culinary Arts and Breads and Pastry Arts are available.
A non-certificate Cookology program is also available, as well as six-week bootcamps in culinary arts and baking.
MCAI prioritizes career support, guiding students toward job opportunities and nurturing continuous professional growth.
The Bread and Pastry Arts program is a comprehensive 14-week and 21-week course.
The course is led by industry professionals.
The hands-on program provides the essential skills and techniques needed to embark on a rewarding career in baking and pastry arts.
The program covers a full spectrum of baking essentials, from foundational skills to advanced pastry techniques.
Contact Information
- Address: 4238 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22203
- Phone: (571) 484-1698
- Website: https://metroculinaryarts.com
#2Virginia Western
About the School
Virginia Western is one of the only a few community colleges in Virginia that offer culinary arts degrees.
The college opened three state-of-the-art kitchens in 2018.
Through the AI Pollard Culinary Arts program, the following degrees are available:
- Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts
- AAS in Culinary Arts: Baking Specialization
Career Studies Certificates are also available in four areas of study
- Culinary Arts: Baking and Pastry
- Culinary Arts: Cake Production & Decorating
- Culinary Arts: Advanced Foodservice
- Hospitality Management
For a two-year program, the estimated cost is $12,210.
The program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
Students earn their ServSafe Food Manager and ServSafe Alcohol certifications.
Contact Information
- Address: 3094 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24015
- Phone: 540-857-VWCC
- Website: https://www.virginiawestern.edu
#3Piedmont Virginia Community College
About the School
Piedmont Virginia Community College offers a Culinary Arts degree that blends professional and technical courses in the culinary arts with hands-on training to provide graduates with the technical knowledge and hands-on skills to be successful in their careers.
The program awards 64 credit hours.
Students are required to complete an internship that provides them with the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned in class.
Courses Offered
Degree requirements include:
- Sanitation and Safety
- Principles of Culinary Arts
- Gard Manger
- Applied Nutrition for Food Service
- Principles of Baking
- Meat, Seafood and Poultry Preparation
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Beverage Management
- And more
Students need 64 credits for an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts.
Contact Information
- Address: 501 College Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22902
- Phone: 434.977.3900
- Website: https://www.pvcc.edu
#4Culinary Institute of Virginia
About the School
The Culinary Institute of Virginia provides Culinary Training designed to prepare students for employment in professional kitchens.
The following programs are available at the institute:
- Culinary Arts
- Culinary Nutrition
- Food Service Management
- Baking and Pastry Arts
The institute offers year-round class schedules and gives students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in just 2.5 years or an Associate Degree in as little as 15 months.
The Culinary Nutrition program can be completed in 15 months and gives students the opportunity to develop fundamental culinary skills through hands-on time in professional kitchens.
They also study the science behind culinary nutrition and dietary management.
Core courses include:
- Alternative Baking
- Culinary Skills
- Culinary Techniques
- Kitchen essentials
- Culinary Fundamentals
- International Cuisine
- Introduction to Dietary Management
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2428 Almeda Ave. Suite 106, Norfolk, VA 23513
- Phone: 757.793.2640
- Website: https://www.ecpi.edu
#5Tidewater Community College
About the School
Tidewater Community College offers a Culinary Arts program that covers both the art and science of cooking and baking.
Students learn from a faculty of expert chefs through a combination of practical experience and academic perspective.
They develop culinary skills while learning the business of food service operations, nutrition, and food safety.
The curriculum covers classical cooking, including knife cuts, soups, stocks, and sauces, as well as American regional cuisine, international cuisine, basic baking techniques, and advanced labs.
The following programs are available:
- Culinary Arts
- Catering
- Classical Cooking
- Kitchen Management
Contact Information
- Address: 121 College Place, Norfolk, VA 23510
- Phone: 757-822-1111
- Website: https://www.tcc.edu
#6Rappahannock Community College
About the School
Rappahannock Community College offers three culinary-related programs and the opportunity to earn relevant certifications.
The Advanced Culinary Arts Career Studies Certificate includes 28 credits and can be completed within two semesters.
Students enrolled in this course of study take classes such as:
- Food Service Managers Sanitation Certificate
- Principles of Culinary Arts
- Fruit, Vegetables, and Starch Preparation
- Garde Manger
- Food and Beverage Service Management
- Principles of Baking
- Health-Conscious Baking
- Applied Nutrition for Food Service
- Stock, Soup, and Sauce Preparation
- American Regional Cuisine
A Culinary Arts Career Studies Certificate is also available and can be completed in one semester.
This 16-credit program provides a foundation in food production and the culinary arts field.
The college also offers a 16-credit Baking and Pastry Fundamentals Career Studies Certificate.
Contact Information
- Address: 52 Campus Dr, Warsaw, VA 22572
- Phone: 804-333-6700
- Website: https://www.rappahannock.edu
#7Virginia's CTE Resource Center
About the School
Virginia’s CTE Resource Center offers career and technical education programs in Virginia’s public schools.
The Culinary Arts I program available at the center provides a foundational understanding of the food service industry and opportunities to build technical skills in food preparation and service.
Students learn:
- Basic rules of kitchen safety and sanitation
- Purchasing and receiving
- Nutrition
- Menu development
- Culinary applications of math, science, and technology
- And more
Available are industry credentials such as:
- Certified Fundamentals Cook Assessment
- Certified Fundamentals Pastry Cook Assessment
- Certified Kitchen Cook examination
- Certified Restaurant Server examination
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2002 Bremo Road, Suite 100, Henrico, VA 23226
- Phone: 804-673-3778
- Website: https://www.cteresource.org
#8Virginia Peninsula Foodbank
About the School
Virginia Peninsula Foodbank provides a Culinary Training program that goes beyond teaching kitchen skills.
It is a 12-week training program that gives eligible adults the opportunity to develop skills that can lead to jobs and self-reliance.
The program offers hands-on culinary education, mentorship, and workforce development for those facing barriers to employment.
The learning takes place in a commercial kitchen.
Courses Offered
The curriculum covers:
- Cleaning and sanitation
- Use and identification of kitchen equipment
- Measurements
- Nutrition
- Sauces, soups, and stocks
- Meat fabrication
- Fundamentals of Baking
- And more
The program also includes ServSafe Food Production and Management Certification.
Contact Information
- Address: 2401 Aluminum Ave., Hampton, VA 23661
- Phone: 757-596-7188
- Website: https://hrfoodbank.org
#9Virginia Tech
About the School
Virginia Tech offers a Food Studies program through its College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
The program brings the perspectives of the humanities and social sciences to the study of food.
The curriculum helps situate food issues in social and historical contexts, drawing on the expertise of faculty from fields such as history, sociology, political science, philosophy, Africana studies, Indigenous Studies, and more.
The program supports teaching, research, and community engagement about food consumption and production in historical, social, and ethical contexts.
Contact Information
- Address: 3625 Potomac Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305
- Phone: (703) 538-8324
- Website: https://dcarea.vt.edu
#10Dowell J. Howard Center
About the School
The Culinary Arts program available at Dowell J. Howard Center is a one-year program taught on the campus of Blue Ridge Community and Technical College in Martinsburg.
Culinary Arts provides students with a foundational understanding of the food service industry and opportunities to build technical skills in preparation and service.
The curriculum covers:
- Basic rules of kitchen safety and sanitation
- Purchasing and receiving
- Fundamental nutrition
The second half of the program gives students the opportunity to continue acquirining knowledge of the food service industry while refining their technical skills.
Students apply kitchen safety and sanitation, nutritional principles, and advanced food preparation techniques.
Contact Information
- Address: 156 Dowell J. Circle, Winchester VA 22602
- Phone: 540-722-2134
- Website: https://djh.frederickcountyschoolsva.net
Schools Summary Table
Culinary & Pastry Average Salary in Virginia
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$43K
|
|
|
$62K
|
|
|
$81K
|
Culinary & Pastry Salary by Metro Area in Virginia
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 90 | $54,930 | $26.41 | $79,970 | $38,510 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 200 | $66,000 | $31.73 | $89,850 | $42,480 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 70 | $63,140 | $30.36 | $79,010 | $39,650 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 100 | $56,750 | $27.28 | $78,760 | $38,870 |
| Richmond, VA | 760 | $60,480 | $29.08 | $80,460 | $44,910 |
| Roanoke, VA | 140 | $57,050 | $27.43 | $73,850 | $35,370 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 30 | $53,030 | $25.49 | $62,860 | $37,720 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 610 | $57,640 | $27.71 | $80,050 | $40,190 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 70 | $54,880 | $26.38 | $71,950 | $40,530 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
Before being ready for employment in a restaurant or another establishment that serves food, you have to complete a program that teaches you the required skills for this profession.
Now that you have read our selection of the best culinary and baking schools in Virginia, the next step is to continue researching and apply for the program that best fits your learning style and career aspirations.
