Eight Colorado institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education: seven public, one for-profit. Average net prices run from $6,007 at Pikes Peak State College to $15,103 at Colorado Mesa University. It’s a compact list for a state this food-obsessed, and one big name does much of the heavy lifting: Boulder is home to the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts’ flagship campus. All figures come from the College Scorecard and IPEDS, retrieved July 2026.
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Griffith Technical CollegeReports culinary/restaurant management as its program in this family. | Denver | Public | - | $7,197 | 6,123 | Culinary Management |
| Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-BoulderReports culinary arts, baking & pastry, and management programs to the U.S. Dept. of Education. | Boulder | For-profit | - | $13,367 | 8,504 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts Culinary Management |
| Colorado Mountain College | Glenwood Springs | Public | $2,616 | $7,813 | 2,816 | Culinary Arts Culinary Management |
| Pikes Peak State CollegeLowest average net price in the state: $6,007/yr after grants. | Colorado Springs | Public | $4,510 | $6,007 | 9,595 | Culinary Arts |
| Red Rocks Community College | Lakewood | Public | $4,859 | $9,044 | 4,889 | Culinary Arts |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | Public | $5,049 | $12,045 | 3,619 | Culinary Arts |
| Pickens Technical College | Aurora | Public | $5,140 | $6,600 | 686 | Culinary Arts |
| Colorado Mesa UniversityReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Grand Junction | Public | $9,927 | $15,103 | 8,143 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
Showing 8 of 8 schools
Standout Culinary Programs in Colorado
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts: Boulder
Escoffier Boulder runs 30-week diplomas and 60-week Associate of Occupational Studies degrees in Culinary Arts and in Baking & Pastry, plus a 42-week Plant-Based Cuisine diploma, with a Farm To Table® Experience built around the Boulder Farmers Market and nearby farms. Its federal record shows by far the largest culinary-school enrollment in the state (8,504 students) at a $13,367 average net price. It’s a for-profit school, so compare that number against the public options below. What you’re buying here is pace, brand, and the plant-based specialty.
Colorado Mesa University: the degree-plus-mountains route
CMU Tech (the university’s Western Colorado Community College division in Grand Junction) teaches both a Culinary Arts A.A.S. and a Baking & Pastry track in a purpose-built facility. It’s the rare Colorado option where culinary training sits inside a full university, with its sports, housing, and transfer paths attached. Average net: $15,103.
Pikes Peak State College: the budget A.A.S.
Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs offers the state’s cheapest culinary path: a Culinary Arts A.A.S. plus a shorter certificate, at $6,007 average net per year. Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver ($7,197) and Pickens Technical College in Aurora ($6,600) fill out the low-cost technical tier.
What Culinary School Costs in Colorado
The public tier runs $6,000 to $12,000 net: Pikes Peak ($6,007), Pickens ($6,600), Emily Griffith ($7,197), Colorado Mountain College ($7,813), Red Rocks ($9,044), and Pueblo ($12,045). The two priciest options are the ones with the strongest brands, Escoffier Boulder ($13,367) and CMU ($15,103). Colorado Mountain College deserves a look for resort-town cooks: it reports both culinary and management tracks and sits where the ski-country jobs are.
Schools You Might Be Searching For
Johnson & Wales University–Denver closed in 2021 along with the North Miami campus. JWU now teaches in person only in Providence and Charlotte. The Art Institute of Colorado in Denver closed in 2018 amid the chain’s collapse, and the remaining Art Institutes shut in 2023. Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver no longer reports federal completions data. If a Denver culinary list still includes those names, it’s out of date.
Colorado Culinary School FAQs
How many culinary schools are in Colorado?
8 Colorado institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education: 7 public and 1 private or for-profit. The count covers degree- and certificate-granting schools in the College Scorecard as of July 2026.
How much does culinary school cost in Colorado?
Average net price, what students actually pay per year after grants, ranges from $6,007 to $15,103 across Colorado culinary schools, with a median of $8,428. Published tuition is often higher; net price is the more accurate number.
What is the cheapest culinary school in Colorado?
Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs has the lowest average net price at $6,007 per year. Community college district residents can sometimes pay less than the published in-state rate.
Which Colorado schools offer baking and pastry programs?
2 Colorado schools reported baking & pastry (CIP 12.0501) completions in the latest federal data, including Colorado Mesa University, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder.
Can I study culinary or restaurant management in Colorado?
Yes, 3 schools report culinary/restaurant management (CIP 12.0504) programs: Colorado Mountain College, Emily Griffith Technical College, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder.
Culinary Schools in Nearby States
School list, tuition, net price, and enrollment from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS completions data (CIP 12.05 family), retrieved July 2026. Program details verified against escoffier.edu, coloradomesa.edu, and pikespeak.edu, July 2026. Closure records from school and news announcements.