New Jersey Colleges Offering Culinary Education

Hey! So you wanna know about how to become a real good cook? Well, New Jersey’s gotta lotta real good schools. But don’t think you’re only gonna learn how to cook pies and spagett; they’ll show you how to make all kinds of stuff from all over the world. Check it out:

Finding a school

Getting into culinary school should be the easiest part of the process. Most schools have open-admissions policies that accept students who have a high-school diploma or GED and meet minimum academic requirements. If the school is more competitive, you may be asked to take a test of basic kitchen knowledge, or to support your application by showing work experience or other training, such as attendance at workshops or seminars.

Picking a school may be the hard part, with all the options available. To make sure you’re choosing a quality program, look for schools that have a quality kitchen – one that’s fully stocked and run by the students. Many schools will also sponsor a student-run restaurant or café, or public dinner nights or other public events. Make sure that the instructors are experienced, and preferably industry professionals or chefs. Finally, look for support services such as job counseling and placement, as well as opportunities for internships and apprenticeships.

Finishing your studies

Expect to be ready for the job market in less time than it would take for a traditional degree. Most culinary programs offer associate’s degrees that can be finished in two years or less. For example, the Monmouth County Vocational School District has a Culinary Arts program that takes two years to complete and finishes with an externship in the community. Some schools offer options for certificates or diplomas, which can often be finished in about a year or less. Night classes and online programs can help accelerate your studies.

Online programs are more ubiquitous in every field, and the culinary arts are no exception. Video instruction is available in some cases to learn cooking techniques in your own home. In other cases, online classes are designed to complement previous work experience or lab work so that you can finish your degree. Many more options are available to finish a degree in restaurant or hotel management online.

Starting your job search

Graduates are likely to find a job they love in any of the thousands of restaurants, resorts, schools, and hotels in New Jersey. Typical food industry salaries in New Jersey range according to position, city, and experience. A waiter/waitress will earn an annual average salary of $27,380; a Registered Dietitian earns $70,550; a first-line supervisor will earn about $44,380; a head chef will earn approximately $76,060; and a restaurant cook earns an average salary of around $33,060.

2019 wage data sourced from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Current wage conditions in your area may vary.

Key to any job is who you know. So start networking to make sure you know as many people as possible to potentially help you in your new career. Join professional networks such as the New Jersey Restaurant Association to meet industry professionals and to gain access to insider job listings, conferences and other events. Attending local food and wine festivals can have the same benefit. You’ll get a chance to meet local celebrity talent, and you can enter cooking competitions to start making a name for yourself.

Campus-based programs

Atlantic Cape Community College
1535 Bacharach Blvd.
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-343-4800
atlantic.edu
Culinary Arts
Hospitality Management
MSACS accredited

Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
201-447-7100
bergen.edu
Culinary Arts
Hospitality Management
MSACS a ccredited

Brookdale Community College
765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738-1543
732-224-2261
brookdalecc.edu
Culinary Arts
MSACS accredited

Rowan College at Burlington County
601 Pemberton Browns Mills Road
Pemberton, NJ 08068
609-894-9311
rcbc.edu
Cooking and Baking
Culinary Arts
Food Service and Hospitality Management Technology
Food Service and Hospitality Management
MSACS accredited

Camden County Technical Schools
343 Berlin Cross Keys Road
Sicklerville NJ 08081
856 767-7000
ccts.org
Culinary Arts (Restaurant Operations)
MSACS accredited

County College of Morris
214 Center Grove Road
Randolph, NJ 07869-2086
973-328-5000
ccm.edu
Culinary Arts
Hospitality Management
MSACS accredited

Fairleigh Dickinson University
1000 River Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
973-443-8500
fdu.edu
Hotel and Restaurant Management
MSACS accredited

Hudson County Community College
25 Journal Square Plaza
Jersey City, NJ 07306-4012
201-714-7100
hccc.edu
Culinary Arts
Hospitality Management
Baking Proficiency
Cold Food Production
Hot Food Production
MSCHE accredited

Mercer County Community College
1200 Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, NJ 08550
609-586-4800
mccc.edu
Culinary Arts
Culinology
Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management
MSACS accredited

Middlesex County College
2600 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08837
732-548-6000
middlesexcc.edu
Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management
MSACS accredited

Monmouth County Vocational School District
4000 Kozloski Road
Freehold, NJ 07728-5033
732-431-7942
mcvsd.org
Culinary Arts
MSCHE accredited

Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools
850 Toms River Road
Jackson, NJ 08527
732-286 5665
ocvts.org
Culinary Arts
MSCAS accredited

Raritan Valley Community College
118 Lamington Road
Branchburg, NJ 08876-3315
908-526-1200
raritanval.edu
Food and Beverage Management
MSACS accredited

Online-based programs

American Culinary Federation
The ACF has over 200 chapters in the United States; its main campus is located in Florida
180 Center Place Way
St. Augustine, FL
904-824-4468
www.acfchefs.org
Continuing Education
Chef Certification
Chef Educators
Food Safety Certification
ACFEFAC Accredited

The Art Institutes of Pittsburgh – Online Division
The Ai has over 40 campus locations across North America, plus this online campus
420 Blvd of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA
412-291-6200
www.aionline.edu
Hotel and Restaurant Management
Culinary Management
MSCHE Accredited

Ashworth College
430 Technology Pkwy
Norcross, GA
770-729-9400
www.ashworthcolleg.edu
Professional Gourmet Cooking and Catering
Hotel and Restaurant Management
DETC Accredited

DeVry University
This University has 90 campus locations in 26 different states
One Tower Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
1-866-338-7934
www.devry.edu
Hospitality Management
HLC Accredited

eCornell
eCornell is an online program and subsidiary of Cornell University, located in New York
950 Danby Road, Suite 150
Ithaca, NY
607-330-3200
www.ecornell.com
Leadership and Strategic Management
Project Leadership and Systems Design
Financial Management
Management Essentials
Human Resources Management
Hospitality and Foodservice Management
Certificate in plant-based nutrition
HRCI and PMI Approved

Johnson and Wales University
JWU has campuses in Providence, Charlotte, and North Miami; its largest campus is in Rhode Island
8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903
1-800-DIAL-JWU
www.jwu.edu
Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management
Culinary Arts and Food Service Management
NEASC Accredited

New England Culinary Institute
NECI has two campuses in Vermont; its main campus is in Montpelier
56 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
877-223-6324
www.neci.edu
Hospitality and Restaurant Management
ACCSC Accredited

Penn Foster Career School
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
570-343-9635
www.pennfoster.edu
Hotel and Restaurant Management
Catering
DETC & CHEA Accredited

Sullivan University
SU has three campuses in Louisville, Lexington and Fort Knox. The main campus for its Global e-Learning program is located in Louisville
2100 Gardiner Lane
Louisville, Kentucky 40205
502-413-8830
1-866-755-7887
www.sullivan.edu
Beverage Management
CCSACS & ACF Accredited

University of Phoenix
This University has campuses in over 40 states, and two locations in Canada
4602 East Elwood Street
Phoenix, AZ
480-968-0587
www.phoenix.edu
Hospitality, Travel and Tourism
HLC Accredited