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Culinary Schools in Atlanta (2026-27)

By · Reviewed November 10, 2026 · Editorial policy

Culinary schools in Atlanta come down to three public technical colleges within commuting range, plus one non-credit evening certificate and two free job-training kitchens. All three colleges charge the same 2026-27 rate, $107 a credit for Georgia residents, and the HOPE award pays 100% of that rate for eligible residents. The lowest-cost route inside the city is Atlanta Technical College, which estimates $10,100 for its culinary arts associate degree (AAS) and $8,510 for its diploma, including fees and supplies. Two programs are accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF): Atlanta Tech (through December 2026) and Gwinnett Tech in Lawrenceville (exemplary status, through June 2027). There is no school called “Atlanta Culinary Institute”, and Le Cordon Bleu’s Atlanta campus closed in 2017.

We checked each school’s own catalog, tuition page or program page in November 2026 and used published 2026-27 prices. Where a school gives only a per-credit rate, we multiplied it out; those totals are marked “our arithmetic” or “about”. ACF status comes from the ACF’s own list of accredited programs. For every other culinary program in the state, including Savannah and Augusta, see our Georgia culinary schools page.

Culinary programs in and near Atlanta

School Campus Programs (credential) 2026-27 cost ACF status
Atlanta Technical College Southwest Atlanta (Metropolitan Pkwy SW) Culinary Arts AAS; Culinary Arts diploma; short certificates (Prep Cook, Food Production Worker I, Culinary Nutrition Assistant) AAS: $10,100 (college estimate); diploma: $8,510 (college estimate); $107 a credit in-state Accredited (AAS and diploma), through December 2026
Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville (northeast metro) Culinary Arts AAS; Culinary Arts diploma; Baking and Pastry Specialist certificate; Prep Cook certificate $107 a credit in-state plus $481 a semester in fees; about $2,086 for a 15-credit semester Accredited, exemplary (AAS and diploma), through June 2027
Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin (south of the metro) Culinary Arts AAS; Culinary Arts diploma; Culinary Professional Assistant, Catering Specialist and Prep Cook certificates $107 a credit in-state; about $7,276 tuition for a 68-credit AAS Not on the ACF list
Kennesaw State University (Community and Professional Education) Kennesaw (northwest metro) Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate (non-credit, evenings) $8,995 Not on the ACF list
Open Hand Atlanta West Marietta St NW (Westside) Culinary Workforce Development Program (11 weeks, non-credit) Free (currently waitlisted) Not applicable
Westside Works Culinary Academy Mercedes-Benz Stadium Six-week job-training course (non-credit, as of 2025) Free Not applicable

Culinary degrees and diplomas in the Atlanta area

Atlanta Technical College (southwest Atlanta)

The only college culinary program inside the city. The 68-credit Culinary Arts AAS takes at least four terms; the college estimates the full program cost at $10,100, plus $1,000–$1,500 for uniforms and a knife kit. Tuition alone is $7,276 for Georgia residents and $14,552 for out-of-state students (our arithmetic). The 52-credit diploma also takes at least four terms, with an estimated program cost of $8,510; for that diploma the college reports a 47.6% graduation rate, a 100% job placement rate and a 60% ACF certification rate for academic year 2025. Both are on the ACF list, but the current accreditation period ends December 31, 2026, so ask the program about renewal before you enroll. There is no baking credential.

Suits: city residents and HOPE-eligible Georgians who want the cheapest ACF-accredited degree inside the Perimeter. Getting there: the main campus is at 1560 Metropolitan Pkwy SW, with a paved lot behind the Hank Aaron Academic Complex. The college also has a South Campus near the airport; its catalog doesn’t say which campus houses the culinary kitchens, so confirm before you plan a commute.

Gwinnett Technical College (Lawrenceville)

Gwinnett Tech offers a Culinary Arts AAS and diploma, a Baking and Pastry Specialist certificate and a Prep Cook certificate, all on a new curriculum that started in fall 2026. The college describes the degree as a four-to-five-semester, full-time program. A 15-credit semester costs about $2,086 for residents, tuition plus fees (our arithmetic); the credit total for the new curriculum wasn’t published, so we don’t give a program total. For academic year 2026, Gwinnett reports a 62% graduation rate and 92% in-field placement for the AAS, and 77% and 93% for the diploma. Its AAS and diploma hold ACF exemplary status through June 30, 2027.

Suits: people in Gwinnett, DeKalb and the north and east suburbs, and anyone who wants baking: it is the only college in the metro with a baking credential. Getting there: the culinary program is based at the Lawrenceville campus, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway.

Southern Crescent Technical College (Griffin)

Southern Crescent’s catalog lists a Culinary Arts AAS, a diploma and three short certificates, including Catering Specialist. It charges the same $107 a credit; if the AAS follows the standard 68-credit design, tuition is $7,276 for residents (our arithmetic). It is not ACF-accredited and has no baking credential.

Suits: Henry, Spalding, Fayette and south Clayton County residents. Griffin is at the edge of a reasonable commute from central Atlanta.

Kennesaw State University: Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate (Kennesaw)

A non-credit continuing-education certificate for working adults. Classes run 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., either on Wednesdays for 22 weeks or on Mondays and Thursdays for 11 weeks (Fast-Track), plus 240 apprenticeship hours, about 12 to 15 a week, at venues such as Atlanta Country Club, Canoe and Ronald McDonald House Atlanta. Both formats cost $8,995. The next starts are January 14, 2027 (traditional) and June 14, 2027 (Fast-Track). The page doesn’t say whether the certificate carries academic credit or qualifies for HOPE or federal aid, so ask before you count on help paying.

Suits: Cobb and Cherokee residents who need evening classes. Note that $8,995 is more than Atlanta Tech’s full diploma tuition of $5,564 (our arithmetic). Classes meet at 3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw.

What culinary school costs in Atlanta

Every technical college in Georgia charges $107 per credit hour in 2026-27 for in-state students and $214 for out-of-state students. You pay the in-state rate if you are a Georgia resident; the HOPE award covers 100% of in-state tuition at technical colleges for students who qualify (check eligibility with the college’s financial aid office). Fees vary by college: Gwinnett Tech charges $481 a semester. On top of that, budget for uniforms, knives and books; Atlanta Tech puts uniforms and a knife kit at $1,000–$1,500.

Rent is the bigger number. HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rent (October 2025 to September 2026) for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area is $1,585 a month for a studio and $1,660 for a one-bedroom. A year in a one-bedroom at that rate is $19,920, about 54% of the metro’s median pay for restaurant cooks (our arithmetic). So even when HOPE covers tuition, a full-time student living alone needs work income, savings or shared housing to cover rent, and choosing the campus closest to where you already live saves both time and money.

Free and low-cost culinary training in Atlanta

Two Atlanta nonprofits run free, non-credit culinary job training. Neither is a degree, but both include food-safety certification.

  • Open Hand Atlanta, Stephen Woods Culinary Workforce Development Program: 11 weeks in Open Hand’s teaching kitchen, Monday to Thursday, for aspiring cooks who are unemployed or underemployed. Chef uniforms, tools and bus passes are free, and the program includes ServSafe training and certification testing. Classes are currently waitlisted: you fill in an interest form, then apply, interview and attend a mandatory orientation. Open Hand is at 1380 West Marietta St NW.
  • Westside Works Culinary Academy: as of 2025, a free six-week course at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, run with Levy Restaurants and funded by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, for Westside residents. Graduates earn ServSafe certification and are placed in jobs at Atlanta venues. We could not confirm 2026-27 cohort dates or eligibility rules, so contact Westside Works before planning around it.

For credit programs, HOPE is the main route to free tuition at Atlanta Tech, Gwinnett Tech and Southern Crescent.

Culinary jobs and pay in Atlanta

Local training programs place students with stadium food service (Levy Restaurants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium), country clubs and fine-dining restaurants such as Atlanta Country Club and Canoe. Chefs and head cooks in the metro earn well above the national median; line-cook and baker pay is close to it.

Job Jobs in the metro area Median pay U.S. median
Restaurant cooks 29,040 $37,230 $37,390
Bakers 4,760 $37,140 $37,160
Chefs and head cooks 2,370 $74,660 $62,470
Food service managers 5,590 $67,580 $69,390

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan area.

Closed schools you may still see listed

  • Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta (1927 Lakeside Parkway, Tucker) stopped taking new students in January 2016 and closed in September 2017, along with every other Le Cordon Bleu college in the US.
  • The Art Institute of Atlanta closed in September 2023 when the Art Institutes network shut down.
  • Chattahoochee Technical College (Marietta) ended its culinary program; it stopped accepting new applicants in 2020-21 and no longer lists it in its catalog.
  • “Atlanta Culinary Institute”: we found no school by that name. People searching for it usually mean one of the closed schools above or Atlanta Technical College.

Atlanta culinary school FAQs

What culinary schools are in Atlanta, GA?

For 2026-27, the credit programs within commuting range are Atlanta Technical College (in the city), Gwinnett Technical College (Lawrenceville) and Southern Crescent Technical College (Griffin). Kennesaw State also runs a non-credit Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate, and Open Hand Atlanta and Westside Works offer free job training.

How much is culinary school in Atlanta?

Tuition is $107 a credit for Georgia residents at all three technical colleges. Atlanta Tech estimates $10,100 for its full AAS and $8,510 for its diploma; Kennesaw State’s apprenticeship certificate is $8,995.

Can I go to culinary school in Atlanta for free?

Often, yes. HOPE pays 100% of technical college tuition for eligible Georgia residents, though fees, uniforms and knives are extra. Open Hand Atlanta’s 11-week program is free but currently waitlisted.

Is there a pastry school in Atlanta?

Gwinnett Tech’s Baking and Pastry Specialist certificate is the only baking credential in the metro. For an associate degree in baking & pastry, Georgia’s options are Savannah Tech and Columbus Tech.

Which Atlanta culinary schools are ACF-accredited?

Atlanta Technical College (AAS and diploma, through December 2026) and Gwinnett Technical College (AAS and diploma, exemplary, through June 2027).

Is Le Cordon Bleu still in Atlanta?

No. The Tucker campus closed in September 2017, and the Art Institute of Atlanta closed in September 2023.

Nearby and online options

Sources

What changed on this page

  • November 2026: new city guide.