So, you love food—for you, it's a source of endless curiosity and an outlet for your creativity. Maybe even your side hustle. Food is your life. And it's our life, too.
At the Culinary Institute of America, food is woven into everything we do and teach—and we do it best. Here, food is discipline and mastery. It's also science, business, hospitality, and global change. At CIA, you'll discover that food can open any door and prepare you to make a difference in the world. Food is what brings you to CIA—and with the skills and experience you'll gain here, you can turn your passion into your purpose.
At CIA you'll find a multitude of food and hospitality focused associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs; academic concentrations; and study abroad opportunities that give you the ability to customize your education to fit your specific interests and career goals. Expect to build a strong foundation and learn by doing through our experiential classes and labs. With 1,300+ hours in our kitchens and bakeshops, you'll get the hands-on experience you need and build skills that go well beyond the kitchen. Then put it all into practice during your paid internship, and in our award-winning public restaurants and bakery cafes.
You'll explore concepts in the way most meaningful to you—through food. Class projects, culinary travel, visits to food and hospitality businesses...you'll find the CIA's experiential approach is the best way to learn. No matter where or how high you want to go in your food career, the CIA will prepare you for it all. At CIA, food is your life.
About
From the School
Contact & Visit
Campus Visits Contact
Director of Admissions
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Experience College Life
Student Commons
Apple Pie Bakery Cafe
The Bakery Cafe by Illy - Greystone, California Campus
Nao Latin Gastro Bar- San Antonio Campus
Mohonk Mountain House & Resort
Hudson River Rail Trail
San Antonio River Walk - San Antonio Campus
Charles Krug Winery- St.Helena, California Campus
Walkway over the Hudson
Campus Tours
8:30-5
800-285-4677
Dates: Year-round
Times:
Average Length: 1 hour
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Admissions
Admissions
Overall
From The School
If you've dreamed about a future in food or hospitality, CIA is the only place to be—so get ready to take that first step and apply. Get started by submitting your application. Visit for two convenient online options—CIA's online application or Common App.
Next, to complete your application file, we just need three additional items:
1. Request official transcripts.
2. Submit your essay
3. Ask for a recommendation.
for more detail.
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Early Action — November 15
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Academics
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From The School
Academic Programs
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT:
Stand out from the crowd with a hospitality management degree from CIA. Become a well-rounded professional with critical business-focused hospitality skills plus vital hands-on food and beverage experience. Here you'll gain a distinct edge to lead across all aspects of hospitality—from the business and hotel end of operations to food and event management.
FOOD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT:
Blend vital business management skills with your passion for food. Gain the leadership skills, management experience, and entrepreneurial know-how to build a successful career in this exciting industry.
CULINARY SCIENCE:
Create food of the future with a degree in culinary science that prepares you to innovate in the kitchen or work in a food research and development environment for a leading food company, restaurant group, or product development laboratory.
APPLIED FOOD STUDIES:
Want a career with global impact? AFS majors graduate with real-world skills, a passion for improving food systems, and a capacity to communicate about complex issues like food waste, food insecurity, sustainability, and food justice.
CULINARY ARTS:
Love to cook? Want to be a top chef or restaurateur? The culinary arts major is for you. You'll explore global cuisines and classic flavors, learn contemporary techniques, develop creative menus and more from the CIA's industry-proven faculty.
BAKING AND PASTRY ARTS:
Do you have that special combination of creativity and attention to detail? Learn the techniques, ingredient function, and design principles behind everything from puff pastry to baguettes to entremets—and then create your own unique versions.
Majors and Degrees Offered
Bachelor's Degree Programs:
- Food Business Management
- Culinary Science
- Applied Food Studies
- Hospitality Management
Associate Degree Programs:
- Culinary Arts
- Baking and Pastry Arts
Ready to expand your career options? Gain more knowledge and skills? CIA also offers online master's degree or certificate programs that give you exactly the right food, wine and beverage, food systems or business know-how you need to take your career to the next level.
Faculty and Class Information
Graduation Rates
Majors
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BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES.
Restaurant/Food Services Management.
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MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.
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PERSONAL AND CULINARY SERVICES.
Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef.
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other.
Culinary Arts/Chef Training.
Culinary Science/Culinology.
Degrees
Bachelor's
Certificate
Master's
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Tuition & Aid
Overview
From The School
Tuition, Room, Board and Fees
$50,290
Financial Aid
We'll Help Get You Here
You're excited by all you've heard so far. Now you may be thinking, "How will I pay for CIA?" If you're committed to making the best investment for your future at CIA, we're committed to helping you get here.
There are so many options available—just ask the more than 90 percent of current CIA students who receive financial assistance. Along with federal and state financial aid, CIA has a generous program that includes merit-and need-based awards and scholarships to help make your dream affordable. In fact, more than $40 million was awarded last year alone. Learn more about tuition and financial aid at CIA by visiting .
*Financial aid is available to those that qualify.
Dates
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Student Body
Student Body
Overall
From The School
At CIA, you'll find all the ingredients you need to create a college experience that's uniquely yours—guided by your passions, your interests, and your imagination. Each of our campuses offers a distinct flavor, a unique feel; yet at every one, you'll be part of a tight-knit, diverse community of students and instructors from all over the world, united in your shared passion for food.
Student Organizations and Activities:
A CIA college experience is one you'll remember forever—and so many memories are made beyond the classroom and kitchens. A diverse roster of student-run clubs, organizations, athletics and events means our main New York campus is always full of energy and fun. Whatever you choose, getting involved at CIA is an easy way to interact with fellow students, make new friends, and have a great time...anytime. And with so many options to choose from, you're certain to find one that matches your interests, talents or simply sparks your curiosity.
Student Body Profile
Demographics
Campus Life
Campus Life
Overview
From The School
Location
Located in major culinary destinations, each of our U.S. campuses has a distinct vibe and unique culinary twist. Yet no matter which campus you call "home," you'll find your place and your people among a diverse group of faculty and peers who are as inspired by food as you are.
CIA New York Our Hyde Park campus offers everything you could want in a college experience on 170 acres overlooking the Hudson River?from student clubs and athletic teams to special events like cook-offs, chef demos, and the Run for Your Knives 5K. The Hudson Valley region is so rich with agritourism, farm-to-table cuisine, resorts, and craft breweries that many of our graduates never leave.
CIA California Nestled in the heart of Napa Valley, our Greystone campus in St. Helena will surround you with vineyards, arts, and culture. Connect with friends on a campus-sponsored excursion, take a hike with the Outdoor Adventure Club or get your "om" on in an Herb Terrace yoga class. Here you'll be part of a close-knit campus that feels like family.
CIA Texas San Antonio is an amazing, friendly city pulsing with Latin American-infused culture and cuisine. Our commuter campus in the Pearl district drops you squarely into the action.
Campus Facilities & Equipment
Main Campus (NY):
Roth Hall, the Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine, the J. Willard Marriott Education Center, and the Student Commons house 41 professionally equipped kitchens and bakeshops, three student-staffed public restaurants, a demonstration theater, meat and fish fabrication rooms, culinary science lab, sensory lab, the Julius Wile Baccalaureate Center, and athletic facilities.
Another campus highlight is the Conrad N. Hilton Library which holds one of the largest collections of culinary literature in the country, totaling 67,000 volumes and more than 60 research databases. Additionally, the library's Archives and Special Collections room houses materials from the college's history, a rare books collection and more than 30,000 menus from 80-plus countries dating back to 1855.
Campus Life
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Special Needs Admissions
Documentation Required for LD
Psychoeducational testingDocumentation Required for ADHD
Psychoeducational testing or medical documentationSpecial Need Services Offered
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Tennis
Cross Country
Soccer
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Volleyball
Student Services
Sustainability
Campus Security Report
The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.
Please visit The Princeton Review’s page on campus safety for additional resources: http://www.princetonreview.com/safety
The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: