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Culinary Schools in Nashville (2026-27)

By · Reviewed November 10, 2026 · Editorial policy

Culinary schools in Nashville come down to two programs within commuting range: Nashville State Community College’s Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts in Antioch and Nossi College of Art & Design on the north side, plus a hospitality degree with a culinary concentration at Motlow State. The lowest-cost credit option is Nashville State’s one-semester Fundamental Cook certificate, about $2,401 in tuition and fees by the college’s own figure; its two-year associate degree (AAS) is about $9,490, and Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Reconnect can cover tuition for students who qualify. No Nashville program is currently on the American Culinary Federation (ACF) list as fully accredited: the ACF lists Nashville State as Conditional, with an end date that has already lapsed. Nossi’s two-year degree costs $41,400 in tuition.

We checked each school’s own program and tuition pages in November 2026 and used published 2026-27 prices where the school gives them. Where we multiplied out a per-credit rate, the total is marked “our arithmetic” or “about”. ACF status comes from the ACF’s own list of accredited programs, not from school marketing. For programs elsewhere in the state, including the ACF-accredited ones in Sevierville, near Knoxville and in Memphis, see our Tennessee culinary schools page.

Culinary programs in and near Nashville

School Campus Programs (credential) 2026-27 cost ACF status
Nashville State Community College, Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts Southeast Campus, Antioch (Hickory Hollow Pkwy) Culinary Arts AAS (2 years); Technical Certificate (1 year); Fundamental Cook Technical Certificate (1 semester) AAS: about $9,490; certificate: about $4,726; Fundamental Cook: about $2,401 (college figures, tuition and fees) Conditional, with a lapsed end date (June 2026)
Nossi College of Art & Design 590 Creative Way, north Nashville (Madison area) Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) in Culinary Arts (24 months) $41,400 tuition ($6,900 a semester for six semesters) Not on the ACF list
Motlow State Community College Campus for culinary courses not stated (locations include Smyrna) Hospitality Management AAS with a Culinary Arts concentration Not published on the program page Not on the ACF list

Culinary programs in the Nashville area

Nashville State Community College: Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts (Antioch)

Nashville’s public culinary school, and the one most students will start with. It offers three credentials: a two-year Associate of Applied Science, about $9,490 in tuition and fees; a one-year Technical Certificate, about $4,726; and a one-semester Fundamental Cook Technical Certificate, about $2,401, plus tools and chef’s clothing. Those are the college’s own figures. Baking is part of the core curriculum; there is no separate baking credential.

On accreditation, be precise: the ACF’s current list shows the AAS as Conditional, with an end date of June 30, 2026, which has passed. Nashville State’s own page still says the AAS is accredited. If ACF status matters to you, for example because you plan to sit for ACF certification, ask the program for its current status in writing.

Suits: most Nashville students, especially anyone eligible for Tennessee Promise or Reconnect, and people living in south and southeast Davidson, Rutherford or Williamson County. Getting there: most culinary courses are taught only at the Southeast Campus, 5248 Hickory Hollow Pkwy., Antioch, not at the main White Bridge Road campus. General-education courses are offered at every campus. Contact: SoutheastCampus@nscc.edu or 615-780-2760.

Nossi College of Art & Design (north Nashville)

A private, for-profit college that offers an Associate of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts: 24 months across six semesters, 75 curriculum hours in total, including baking courses (Introduction to Baking Basics and Pastry Science). Tuition is $6,900 a semester, or $41,400 for the degree; supplies and equipment are bought separately. That is about 4.4 times Nashville State’s AAS figure (our arithmetic), and Tennessee Promise does not cover private colleges. Nossi is not on the ACF list. The Spring 2027 application deadline is January 5, 2027.

Suits: students on the north side who want a private college’s cohort schedule and are comfortable paying more. The campus is at 590 Creative Way, Nashville 37115.

Motlow State Community College (Smyrna and other campuses)

Motlow offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science in Hospitality Management with a Culinary Arts concentration, with certifications embedded in the program. Its page lists six locations, including Smyrna, the one closest to Nashville, but doesn’t say where the culinary courses are taught, and it gives no credit total or cost. Treat these details as unconfirmed and ask the college before applying. It is a hospitality degree first, so it suits people aiming at management as much as the line.

Suits: Rutherford County residents, if the culinary labs turn out to be at Smyrna.

Checked and not a culinary option: TCAT Nashville has no culinary or food service program among its 18 programs, and Belmont, Lipscomb and MTSU offer hospitality management bachelor’s degrees rather than chef training.

What culinary school costs in Nashville

At Nashville State, 2026-27 tuition is $197 a credit for Tennessee residents and $342 for out-of-state students, up to 12 credits a semester, plus a $30-per-credit fee on culinary courses. A 12-credit semester comes to $2,534 for residents and $4,274 for out-of-state students before that culinary fee. If you took the degree at 12 credits a semester over five semesters, our arithmetic gives about $12,670 for residents, more than the college’s own “about $9,490” figure, which probably assumes heavier semesters. Plan with a range, and ask the program which figure applies to your schedule.

Two state programs can make Nashville State’s tuition free. Tennessee Promise is a last-dollar scholarship for students coming straight from high school that covers tuition and mandatory fees not met by other grants at community colleges; the Class of 2027 application was due November 2, 2026, and the 2027-28 FAFSA is due April 1, 2027. Tennessee Reconnect is a last-dollar award covering tuition and mandatory fees at community and technical colleges for eligible adults seeking an associate or technical degree. Neither covers Nossi. Tools, uniforms and books are extra everywhere.

Housing costs more than tuition. HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rent (October 2025 to September 2026) for the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin metro area is $1,507 a month for a studio and $1,578 for a one-bedroom. A year in a one-bedroom at that rate is $18,936, about half the metro’s median pay for a restaurant cook (our arithmetic). Even with free tuition, most full-time students will need work income, savings or shared housing.

Free and low-cost culinary training in Nashville

We found no free culinary job-training program running in Nashville now. Catholic Charities’ Culinary Training Academy still appears in search results, but its page is gone and the charity’s current job-training list shows only sewing and banking programs. The “Second Harvest Culinary Training Program” that shows up in searches belongs to a food bank in Orlando, Florida, not Middle Tennessee. The lowest-cost route is Nashville State with Tennessee Promise or Reconnect, which can bring tuition to zero for students who qualify.

Culinary jobs and pay in Nashville

Hotel and convention kitchens hire locally: Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and the Grand Hyatt Nashville were employer sites when Nashville State launched registered culinary apprenticeships in 2020. Chefs and head cooks in the metro earn well above the national median; bakers earn a little below it.

Job Jobs in the metro area Median pay U.S. median
Restaurant cooks 10,420 $38,170 $37,390
Bakers 1,670 $34,920 $37,160
Chefs and head cooks 1,780 $70,420 $62,470
Food service managers 1,680 $69,860 $69,390

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metropolitan area.

Closed schools you may still see listed

  • The Art Institute of Tennessee–Nashville, which listed culinary among its programs, stopped enrolling students in July 2018.

Nashville culinary school FAQs

What culinary schools are in Nashville, TN?

Nashville State Community College’s Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts in Antioch (AAS, one-year Technical Certificate and one-semester Fundamental Cook certificate) and Nossi College of Art & Design (24-month AOS). Motlow State also offers a hospitality AAS with a culinary concentration.

How much does culinary school cost in Nashville?

Nashville State lists about $9,490 for the AAS, about $4,726 for the Technical Certificate and about $2,401 for Fundamental Cook, in tuition and fees. Nossi’s tuition is $41,400.

Is culinary school free in Nashville?

It can be at Nashville State: Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect cover tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students. They don’t cover Nossi, and we found no free culinary job-training program running in Nashville now.

Is Nashville State’s culinary program ACF-accredited?

The ACF lists it as Conditional, with an end date of June 30, 2026, that has lapsed. The college’s own page still describes the AAS as accredited, so ask for its current status.

How long is culinary school in Nashville?

One semester for Fundamental Cook, one year for Nashville State’s Technical Certificate, and two years for the Nashville State AAS or Nossi’s 24-month AOS.

Is there a pastry school in Nashville?

Not a separate one. Baking is part of Nashville State’s core curriculum, and Nossi includes two baking courses. For an ACF-accredited baking and pastry credential in Tennessee, see Walters State on our state page.

Nearby and online options

Sources

What changed on this page

  • November 2026: new city guide.