Is Culinary School a Dream-Maker, or Elaborate Scam?

It blows my mind to look at where I am today and where I was only a few years ago. I’m not going to get into the dirty details, but I will say it’s a vastly different place. When I decided to get my act together and go back to school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had been an art history major at Bucknell University and a Mass Communication major after that. But when it came time to go back to school, I had some major reservations about going to traditional school. I didn’t like it then, why would I like it now? I was basically being a little brat - a 22 or 23-year-old brat.

After spending a few days researching and discussing different possibilities for school and education, I settled on two choices. My first choice was going to culinary school. My second was going to Texas State University and entering The School of Journalism and Mass Communication. One was super exciting and exactly what I thought I wanted to do, while the other was so boring; so mundane. Right?

Maybe so, but after going to the initial interview and tour at the culinary school in Austin, Texas, I was a bit on the fence again. $40,000? REALLY? And then there was the additional cost for uniforms, books, and knives – but don’t worry – that was just a one time charge for freshmen. But this time, it was out of MY pocket…

My emotional side kept screaming, DO IT! DO IT! But my rational side said, think about this, that’s a lot of money. But then my emotional side said, look at the facts, Miss Logical! They GUARANTEE YOU A JOB! So, basically that $40,000 will be nothing a few years after graduation. Right? I’d have a great job as an executive chef, or at least a notable food writer somewhere… right?

WRONG.

But they promised!

WRONG!!

Today, I am a senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University. Yes, I took the “boring” and more traditional route, but I’m glad for it. I didn’t fall into the trap so many people did. Let me explain…

I was perusing the web the other day, and saw an Associated Press article with the headline, “Culinary school grads claim they were ripped off”. This grabbed my attention, because I was so close to signing on the dotted line, signing my life ($40,000+) away.

Reading the AP article prompted me dig deeper. Was this just one instance? Was it a blip on the screen or was this a growing trend? (Here is my School of Journalism & Mass Communication training coming out).

Food enthusiasts have been enrolling in culinary school in growing numbers, lured by dreams of working as gourmet chefs or opening their own restaurants. 

For many graduates, however, those dreams have turned into financial nightmares, as they struggle to pay off hefty student loans and find work in a cutthroat industry known for its long hours and low pay. 

Now, some former students are suing for-profit cooking schools to get their money back, saying they were misled by recruiters about the value of culinary education and their job prospects after graduation. 

"They just oversold it and pushed it. They made misleading statements to lure you in," said Emily Journey, 26, a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against San Francisco's California Culinary Academy, part of Career Education Corp.'s chain of 16 Le Cordon Bleu cooking schools.”

(Read the rest of the article here.)

Le Cordon Bleu officials defend the value of a culinary education, saying many restaurants, hotels and hospitality companies don't have the time or money to train employees.

"Culinary arts education today gives people a much-needed foundation they need to be successful," said Edward Leonard, vice president and corporate chef for Le Cordon Bleu Schools in North America.

The academy's tuition and fees range from $21,000 for a certificate in pastry and baking arts to $43,000 for an associate's degree in culinary arts. Those costs don't include books, supplies, or room and board. See? That’s just an exorbitant fee for something that doesn’t prove pay off at the end, as promised.

The California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, the Western Culinary Institute in Portland and San Francisco's California Culinary Academy are all being sued by former students who, according to the AP, claim they were "duped by deceptive advertising." 

There are so many more examples of such schools being sued for these reasons. It’s a shame that people get hoodwinked into this scam.


The con is on individuals with dreams, with passion, with an aspiration to be great. They swindle people with a goal to express their creativity with food, to put a piece of themselves on a plate in order to share their life, their history, their culture. These  have dreams to feed people and put smiles on faces of customers and have a desire to share their love for food with the masses.

While it makes me sad to see so many culinary school graduates working minimum wage at McDonald’s or struggling as a talented-yet-unemployed chef, I’m grateful I decided to go the traditional route. 


Opting for the normal college experience doesn't mean I gave up my love for food or my desire to learn and create taste combinations that excite the palate, and express my passion. 

It’s important to learn from this, and see that nothing in life is guaranteed. Nothing. And just because you don't go to an individualized program that is busy promising dreams, success and a job, it doesn't mean that you can't break into the field, and do what you always dreamed of doing. 

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.” 

- B. Littrell

(sources: my mind, eater.com, The Associated Press, Le Cordon Bleu)