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Culinary Schools in Phoenix (2026-27)

By · Reviewed November 10, 2026 · Editorial policy

We found four culinary schools in Phoenix and its suburbs within commuting range: Scottsdale Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale, the private Arizona Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, and St. Mary’s Food Bank’s free Community Kitchen in west Phoenix. The lowest-cost college option is a Maricopa community college certificate: Maricopa lists $97 per credit for county residents for 2026-27, which puts Scottsdale’s 18-to-20-credit Commercial Baking and Pastry certificate at about $1,746 to $1,940 in tuition (our arithmetic; confirm the rate on the college’s tuition page). Only one program is ACF-accredited: Scottsdale Community College’s Culinary Arts AAS, the only ACF-accredited culinary program in Arizona, approved through December 2027.

We checked each school’s own program and tuition pages and the American Culinary Federation’s list of accredited programs in November 2026, using published 2026-27 prices. Where a school gives a per-credit rate rather than a program total, we multiplied it out and marked the result “our arithmetic” or “about”. Maricopa Community Colleges’ websites blocked our checks, so its tuition comes from the district’s published figures as shown in search results; treat it as a guide until you see it on the college’s own page. For Tucson and the rest of the state, see our Arizona culinary schools page.

Culinary programs in and near Phoenix

School Campus Programs (credential) 2026-27 cost ACF status
Scottsdale Community College (Maricopa) Scottsdale, east Valley Culinary Arts AAS; Baking and Pastry Arts AAS; Commercial Baking and Pastry certificate; Culinary Foundations and Professional certificates $97 per credit (county residents); Culinary Arts AAS about $5,820 to $6,499; Baking and Pastry AAS about $5,820 Culinary Arts AAS approved through December 2027; baking programs not accredited
Estrella Mountain Community College (Maricopa) Avondale, West Valley Culinary specialization in the Maricopa Culinary Arts AAS; culinary and baking courses $97 per credit (county residents) Not ACF-accredited
Arizona Culinary Institute 10585 N 114th St, Scottsdale Diploma in Culinary Arts, Baking, and Restaurant Management (32 weeks days, 40 weeks nights) $31,500 including supplies, uniforms and knife kit Not ACF-accredited (accredited by ACCSC)
St. Mary’s Food Bank Community Kitchen 3003 W. Thomas Rd, west Phoenix 9-week culinary job training (non-credit) Free for eligible adults Not ACF-accredited

Where to train as a cook or baker in Phoenix

Scottsdale Community College: Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry

Scottsdale Community College (SCC) offers culinary, baking and restaurant management awards, including the state’s only ACF-accredited culinary degree. It sits on the east side of the Valley, so students from central or west Phoenix should plan for a drive.

  • Programs: Culinary Arts AAS (60 to 67 credits); Baking and Pastry Arts AAS (60 credits); Commercial Baking and Pastry certificate (18 to 20 credits); Culinary Foundations and Culinary Professional certificates; and Hospitality: Restaurant Management awards.
  • ACF: the Culinary Arts AAS is approved through December 2027. The baking degree and certificate are not ACF-accredited.
  • Admission: the culinary degree needs a formal application before a kitchen tour and interview, and students enrol as a block. Baking needs a formal application and a Maricopa County Food Handlers Card.
  • Cost: about $5,820 to $6,499 in county-resident tuition for the culinary degree and about $5,820 for the baking degree (our arithmetic at $97 per credit). Course fees, uniforms and knives are extra.
  • Suits: students who want an ACF-accredited degree at community-college prices, or a short baking certificate.

Estrella Mountain Community College: West Valley culinary courses

Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) in Avondale is the other Maricopa college that teaches culinary arts. The district’s 2026-27 Culinary Arts AAS pathway names EMCC and SCC as the only colleges offering it, with one specialization taught only at EMCC, and SCC’s Commercial Baking and Pastry certificate sends students to EMCC for one course. Tuition is the same Maricopa rate. EMCC’s own program pages could not be checked, so confirm credits and start dates with the college. It suits West Valley residents in Avondale, Goodyear and west Phoenix who would rather not commute to Scottsdale.

Arizona Culinary Institute: private diploma

The Arizona Culinary Institute (ACI) at 10585 North 114th Street in north-east Scottsdale offers one career program, the Diploma in Culinary Arts, Baking, and Restaurant Management. It takes 32 weeks on the day schedule or 40 weeks at night.

  • Cost: $29,695 tuition plus a $1,805 student supply fee, $31,500 in total. The fee covers textbooks, printed materials, uniforms and a professional knife kit.
  • Accreditation: accredited by ACCSC, a national accreditor of career schools; not on the ACF list.
  • Next start: January 4, 2027.
  • Suits: students who want a fast, all-inclusive diploma with a day or night schedule and can pay or borrow for it. The total is about five times SCC’s resident tuition for a 60-credit culinary degree (our arithmetic).

St. Mary’s Food Bank Community Kitchen: free job training

St. Mary’s Food Bank runs Community Kitchen, a free 9-week culinary training program, at the University of Phoenix Center, 3003 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix. Classes meet Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details are below under free training.

What culinary school costs in Phoenix

Maricopa lists $97 per credit for county residents for 2026-27; confirm on the college’s tuition page. The district says tuition is unchanged for a fourth year. The county rate also applies to residents of other Arizona counties except Apache and Greenlee. Students who have moved to Arizona from another state pay a much higher out-of-state rate, so check your residency status before you enrol. At $97 per credit, SCC’s culinary degree comes to about $5,820 to $6,499 in tuition, its baking degree about $5,820, and the baking certificate about $1,746 to $1,940 (our arithmetic). Course fees, uniforms and knives are extra and were not published where we could check them. ACI’s $31,500 already includes supplies, uniforms and knives.

HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rent (October 2025 to September 2026) for the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro is $1,457 a month for a studio and $1,583 for a one-bedroom. A year in a one-bedroom at that rate is about $18,996 (our arithmetic), roughly three times the tuition for a full SCC degree. For most community college students in Phoenix, rent, not tuition, is the biggest cost of school.

Free and low-cost culinary training in Phoenix

St. Mary’s Food Bank’s Community Kitchen is “offered at no cost to people who need assistance and are looking for a positive life change”. It is not a college credential, but it is a fast route into a kitchen job for adults who face barriers to work. St. Mary’s says applicants must:

  • be facing notable employment barriers;
  • be 18 or older and have U.S. work authorization;
  • pass a drug test, with random tests during the program;
  • consent to a background check (people with arson convictions and registered sex offenders are not accepted);
  • live in a shelter, a halfway house, or housing they own or rent.

St. Mary’s says most graduates find work shortly after graduating, at an average starting wage of $18.10/hr, but that it “cannot guarantee employment to every graduate.” Call (602) 343-3183 for the next class dates. We found no union training trust or culinary registered apprenticeship in Phoenix.

Culinary jobs and pay in Phoenix

The Phoenix metro employs about 21,780 restaurant cooks and 2,970 bakers, according to federal wage data. Cooks earn slightly more than the national median, and food service managers earn more than managers nationally.

Job Jobs in the metro area Median pay U.S. median
Restaurant cooks 21,780 $39,170 $37,390
Bakers 2,970 $37,800 $37,160
Chefs and head cooks 2,870 $61,400 $62,470
Food service managers 2,560 $70,180 $69,390

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area.

Closed schools you may still see listed

  • Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale: took its last new students in January 2016 and closed in 2017, along with every other U.S. Le Cordon Bleu campus.
  • The Art Institute of Phoenix: closed. The Art Institutes chain shut its last campuses on September 30, 2023.
  • Phoenix College: its culinary and baking program has ended; the college no longer lists a culinary award.

Phoenix culinary school FAQs

How much is culinary school in Phoenix?

At a Maricopa community college, about $5,820 to $6,499 in tuition for SCC’s Culinary Arts AAS for county residents (our arithmetic at $97 per credit). The Arizona Culinary Institute’s diploma is $31,500 including supplies, and St. Mary’s Community Kitchen is free for eligible adults.

Which culinary school in Phoenix is ACF-accredited?

Scottsdale Community College’s Culinary Arts AAS, approved through December 2027. It is the only ACF-accredited culinary program in Arizona.

Is there a baking or pastry school in Phoenix?

Yes. SCC offers a 60-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS and an 18-to-20-credit Commercial Baking and Pastry certificate, neither ACF-accredited. ACI’s diploma also covers baking.

What culinary schools are in Scottsdale?

Scottsdale Community College and the Arizona Culinary Institute. Le Cordon Bleu’s Scottsdale campus closed in 2017.

Can I get a culinary arts degree in Phoenix?

Yes, an associate degree: the Culinary Arts AAS at SCC, with a specialization at Estrella Mountain. We found no culinary bachelor’s degree in the Phoenix metro.

Is there free culinary training in Phoenix?

St. Mary’s Food Bank Community Kitchen is free and lasts 9 weeks, Monday to Friday, for adults 18 and older who face barriers to employment and meet its other requirements.

Nearby and online options

Pima Community College in Tucson, about 110 miles away, has a Baking & Pastry Arts certificate and hospitality programs; see our Arizona page. If you cannot attend in person, compare online culinary programs, read our guide to what culinary school costs, or see baking and pastry programs in Arizona. Our city guides cover other major US cities.

Sources

What changed on this page

  • November 2026: new city guide.