Louisiana takes cooking seriously enough to put a chef’s name on a public university institute. Thirteen institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education, ten of them public, anchored by the state’s community and technical college system. Average net prices run from $5,702 at Central Louisiana Technical CC to $28,869 at the for-profit Louisiana Culinary Institute. All figures come from the College Scorecard and IPEDS, retrieved July 2026.
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent City Bartending School | New Orleans | For-profit | - | $19,311 | 570 | Culinary Arts |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community CollegeLowest average net price in the state: $5,702/yr after grants. | Alexandria | Public | $4,099 | $5,702 | 1,078 | Culinary Arts |
| Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College | Minden | Public | $4,109 | $9,256 | 866 | Culinary Arts |
| South Louisiana Community College | Lafayette | Public | $4,210 | $12,564 | 5,035 | Culinary Arts |
| Nunez Community CollegeReports culinary arts, baking & pastry, and management programs to the U.S. Dept. of Education. | Chalmette | Public | $4,255 | $12,529 | 1,520 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts Culinary Management |
| Delgado Community CollegeLargest enrollment on this list (11,668 students). | New Orleans | Public | $4,279 | $9,747 | 11,668 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Bossier Parish Community College | Bossier City | Public | $4,283 | $10,706 | 4,935 | Culinary Arts |
| Northshore Technical Community College | Lacombe | Public | $4,299 | $10,773 | 2,505 | Culinary Arts |
| SOWELA Technical Community College | Lake Charles | Public | $4,305 | $7,525 | 2,966 | Culinary Arts |
| Baton Rouge Community College | Baton Rouge | Public | $4,321 | $9,474 | 8,362 | Culinary Arts |
| Nicholls State UniversityOffers a bachelor’s-level credential in this program family. | Thibodaux | Public | $8,149 | $12,947 | 4,737 | Culinary Arts |
| Louisiana Culinary InstituteFor-profit school; published price $15,575, average net $28,869 after aid. | Baton Rouge | For-profit | $15,575 | $28,869 | 77 | Culinary Arts |
| University of Holy Cross | New Orleans | Private | $16,576 | $15,635 | 471 | Culinary Arts |
Showing 13 of 13 schools
Standout Culinary Programs in Louisiana
Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State: the only 4-year culinary degree in Louisiana
Nicholls State in Thibodaux is the state’s flagship, the only Louisiana institution offering a four-year culinary degree, with both a B.S. and an A.S. in Culinary Arts, ten career concentrations, a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, and hands-on service in Bistro Ruth, its teaching restaurant, plus a student bakery. Cajun and Creole technique is part of the curriculum, not a marketing line. Average net: $12,947, public-university pricing for a named culinary institute.
Delgado Community College: New Orleans’ kitchen pipeline
Delgado’s Culinary Arts A.A.S., with a Pastry Arts degree option and shorter pastry credentials, has fed New Orleans kitchens for decades from the city’s biggest community college (11,668 students). It’s one of only two Louisiana schools reporting a baking & pastry track in the federal data. Average net: $9,747.
Nunez Community College: the three-track option
Nunez in Chalmette, just outside New Orleans, is the only Louisiana school reporting all three tracks (culinary arts, baking & pastry, and culinary management) at $12,529 average net. For students who want management coursework alongside the kitchen, it’s the closest thing to a full menu in the state’s federal data.
What Culinary School Costs in Louisiana
The technical-college tier keeps culinary training under $11,000 net: Central Louisiana ($5,702), SOWELA in Lake Charles ($7,525), Baton Rouge CC ($9,474), Delgado ($9,747), and Bossier Parish ($10,706). Even the flagship Nicholls B.S. lands under $13,000 a year. The for-profit Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge runs $28,869 net with 77 students, more than double Nicholls for a two-year credential, so demand written placement numbers before choosing it over the public route.
Schools You Might Be Searching For
NOCHI, the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute downtown, is real and running certificate programs, but as a nonprofit it doesn’t report degree completions under the federal culinary codes, so it doesn’t appear in the table above. Treat its certificates as accelerated training rather than a college credential. Le Cordon Bleu has had no U.S. campuses since 2017, and the Art Institutes, whose New Orleans branch once taught culinary, closed for good in September 2023.
Louisiana Culinary School FAQs
How many culinary schools are in Louisiana?
13 Louisiana institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education: 10 public and 3 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 Louisiana?
Average net price, what students actually pay per year after grants, ranges from $5,702 to $28,869 across Louisiana culinary schools, with a median of $10,773. Published tuition is often higher; net price is the more accurate number.
What is the cheapest culinary school in Louisiana?
Central Louisiana Technical Community College in Alexandria has the lowest average net price at $5,702 per year. Community college district residents can sometimes pay less than the published in-state rate.
Which Louisiana schools offer baking and pastry programs?
2 Louisiana schools reported baking & pastry (CIP 12.0501) completions in the latest federal data, including Nunez Community College, Delgado Community College.
Can I study culinary or restaurant management in Louisiana?
Yes, 1 school reports culinary/restaurant management (CIP 12.0504) programs: Nunez Community College.
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 nicholls.edu, dcc.edu, and nochi.org, July 2026.