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Culinary Schools in Alabama (2026-27)

By · Reviewed November 10, 2026 · Editorial policy

8 colleges and career schools in Alabama train cooks, chefs and bakers, all of them public community or technical colleges. After grants, students pay between $5,397 and $14,557 a year on average, with a median of $10,248; the lowest-cost option is Bishop State Community College in Mobile. Of these, 3 teach baking & pastry and 2 offer culinary or restaurant management.

Explore Alabama: Baking & pastry schools in Alabama · Culinary management programs in Alabama · Online culinary programs open to Alabama residents · All states

The table below lists every Alabama school that reported culinary graduates to the U.S. Department of Education and whose own catalog still shows the program, checked in November 2026. Net price is what aid recipients actually paid per year, school-wide, from the federal College Scorecard; sort by it rather than by the published tuition. Programs we single out further down were checked on each school’s website.

8Schools
$5,397Lowest net price/yr
$8,325Median net price/yr
3Baking & pastry programs
Tuition = published annual price. Net price = average paid after grants (federal aid recipients). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard, retrieved November 2026.
School City Type Tuition/yr Net price/yr Enrollment Programs
Jefferson State Community CollegeCulinary & Hospitality Institute, ACF-accredited through 6/30/2028: Baking & Pastry AAS (75 credits), Hospitality Mgmt: Culinary Arts AAS, Culinary Apprentice option. $196 per credit in-state for 2026-27. IPEDS UNITID not confirmed; not in our CIP 12.05 pull.BirminghamPublic--0Culinary Arts Baking & Pastry Culinary Management
Coastal Alabama Community CollegeGulf Shores Campus: Culinary Arts AAS (62 credits) and Pastry Baking AAS (64 credits), plus certificates. All ACF-accredited through 6/30/2029. $204 per credit in-state for 2026-27. IPEDS UNITID not confirmed.Gulf ShoresPublic--0Culinary Arts Baking & Pastry
Lawson State Community CollegeCulinary Arts AAS 70 credit hours; 2026-27 in-state $194 per credit hour.BirminghamPublic$5,040$6,2752,900Culinary Arts
Shelton State Community CollegeCulinary Arts AAS and certificate, plus a Baking short-term certificate.TuscaloosaPublic$5,127$14,5573,148Culinary Arts Baking & Pastry
H Councill Trenholm State Community CollegeACF-accredited Culinary Arts AAS (74 semester hours), downtown Montgomery; ACF accreditation through 12/31/2029.MontgomeryPublic$5,190$8,3251,674Culinary Arts
George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleACF-accredited Culinary Arts AAS (68 credits, 5 semesters); ACF accreditation through 6/30/2029.HancevillePublic$5,220$13,1704,423Culinary Arts
Bishop State Community CollegeACF-accredited Culinary Arts AAS (through 12/31/2027). Lowest average net price in the state: $5,397/yr after grants.MobilePublic$5,340$5,3972,437Culinary Arts
University of North AlabamaAlabama's only bachelor's in culinary arts: BS in Culinary Arts Management (121 hrs), plus an AS in Culinary Arts (61-65 hrs). 2026-27 catalog.FlorencePublic$12,120$12,1705,811Culinary Arts Culinary Management

Showing 8 of 8 schools

Standout culinary programs in Alabama

Five Alabama colleges are on the American Culinary Federation’s accredited program list: Jefferson State, Coastal Alabama, Wallace State, Trenholm State and Bishop State. Jefferson State and Coastal Alabama are missing from the federal culinary data, so the table shows no net price for them, but they hold the state’s only baking & pastry degrees.

Jefferson State Community College: Culinary & Hospitality Institute (Birmingham area)

The institute offers four associate degree options: Culinary/Nutrition Science, Culinary Apprenticeship, Baking and Pastry, and Catering and Event Planning. The “Baking & Pastry Option (AAS C030)” is 75 credit hours, including a pastry field experience; students also work in Bistro proVare, the student restaurant. The baking, culinary arts and apprenticeship degrees are ACF-accredited through June 2028. For 2026-27, tuition and fees are $196 a credit in-state and $329 out of state, so the baking degree comes to an estimated $14,700 in-state and $24,675 out of state (our arithmetic; uniforms and tools extra). It suits Birmingham-area students who want a pastry degree or an apprenticeship route.

Coastal Alabama Community College: Gulf Shores campus

Coastal Alabama’s Gulf Shores campus offers “Culinary Arts (AAS-CUA)” (62 credits) and “Pastry Baking (AAS-PAS)” (64 credits), plus certificates; these programs were formerly run by Faulkner State. The culinary and baking associate degrees and certificates are ACF-accredited through June 2029. At the 2026-27 catalog rate of $204 a credit in-state ($337 out of state), the culinary degree is an estimated $12,648 and the pastry degree $13,056 in-state, or $20,894 and $21,568 out of state (our arithmetic). It suits Baldwin County and Gulf Coast students, especially those who want to specialize in pastry.

Wallace State Community College: Hanceville

Wallace State’s Culinary Arts AAS is 68 credits over five semesters on a day schedule, with a 38-credit Advanced Certificate and a 25-credit short-term certificate. All three awards are ACF-accredited through June 2029. At $200 a credit in-state and $333 out of state, the AAS comes to an estimated $13,600 in-state and $22,644 out of state (our arithmetic). Books, tools and supplies are extra. It suits students from Cullman to Huntsville.

Trenholm State and Bishop State: Montgomery and Mobile

H. Councill Trenholm State Community College teaches a 74-semester-hour Culinary Arts AAS in downtown Montgomery. It is ACF-accredited through December 2029. Its most recent published rate is $187 a credit (2025-26), which puts the AAS at about $13,838 (our arithmetic); expect 2026-27 to be slightly higher. Bishop State Community College in Mobile teaches its Culinary Arts AAS at the Carver instructional site in morning, afternoon, evening and weekend sections, ACF-accredited through December 2027. It charges $204 a credit in-state for 2026-27 ($3,060 for a 15-credit term) and has the lowest average net price in our data, $5,397 a year. Bishop State suits Mobile students who need evening or weekend classes.

University of North Alabama: Florence

UNA’s “BS Major in Culinary Arts Management” (121 hours) is the only bachelor’s degree in culinary arts we found in Alabama. It includes baking and pastry courses, two internships and culinary entrepreneurship. UNA also offers a 61- to 65-hour Associate of Science in Culinary Arts. The program is not ACF-accredited. Fall 2026 tuition is a $5,250 flat rate per semester in-state ($10,500 out of state), plus a $75-a-credit college fee: an estimated $51,075 for the in-state BS over eight semesters and $93,075 out of state (our arithmetic). It suits students who want a four-year degree aimed at management or owning a business.

What culinary school costs in Alabama

Alabama’s community colleges charge one statewide tuition rate, $133 a credit in-state for 2026-27, and only their fees differ; the total per credit runs from $194 at Lawson State to $204 at Bishop State and Coastal Alabama. Out-of-state tuition is $266 a credit, plus the same fees. An associate degree costs roughly $12,648 to $14,700 in in-state tuition and fees, depending mostly on its credit total. In Birmingham, Lawson State’s 70-credit Culinary Arts AAS is an estimated $13,580 in-state (its instructors hold ACF certifications, but the program is not ACF-accredited). In Tuscaloosa, Shelton State offers a Culinary Arts AAS, a certificate and short-term certificates in baking and food preparation; we could not confirm its 2026-27 rate.

By average net price, what aid recipients actually paid per year school-wide, Bishop State ($5,397) and Lawson State ($6,275) are the least expensive and Shelton State ($14,557) the most. Our methodology page explains these figures. Compare pastry options on our baking & pastry page and UNA and Jefferson State on our culinary management page. Students in north Alabama can also look at Tennessee, and those in the east at Georgia.

Culinary jobs and pay in Alabama

Alabama pays chefs close to the national median but cooks, bakers and food service managers below it.

Job Jobs in Alabama Median pay in Alabama U.S. median
Restaurant cooks 16,260 $32,180 $37,390
Bakers 1,880 $34,030 $37,160
Chefs and head cooks 1,000 $62,400 $62,470
Food service managers 4,330 $63,010 $69,390

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Studying online from Alabama?

If no campus is close enough, accredited online diplomas and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking & pastry exist, but every one ends with an in-person externship in a working kitchen. Escoffier’s online baking & pastry diploma costs $22,800 and its associate degree $34,425 for the whole program. The Institute of Culinary Education’s online programs are not approved for Alabama residents. We compare every option, with accreditation and outcomes, on our online culinary schools page.

Closed or changed schools you may still see listed

  • Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College (Birmingham): Virginia College announced in December 2018 that all its campuses would close.
  • Faulkner State Community College: its culinary programs now run under Coastal Alabama Community College at the Gulf Shores campus.
  • J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College (Huntsville) offers Hospitality Service Management, not a culinary credential, so we no longer list it.

Alabama culinary school FAQs

How many culinary schools are in Alabama?

8 public colleges in Alabama offer credit culinary programs: Jefferson State, Lawson State, Shelton State, Trenholm State, Wallace State, Bishop State, Coastal Alabama and the University of North Alabama.

How much does culinary school cost in Alabama?

After grants, students pay between $5,397 and $14,557 a year on average, with a median of $10,248. At 2026-27 rates, a community college culinary associate degree costs roughly $12,648 to $14,700 in in-state tuition and fees for the whole program; Wallace State's 68-credit AAS, for example, is an estimated $13,600.

What is the cheapest culinary school in Alabama?

Bishop State Community College in Mobile has the lowest average net price, $5,397 a year. Lawson State in Birmingham has the lowest 2026-27 per-credit rate, $194 in-state, and Coastal Alabama's 62-credit Culinary Arts AAS has the lowest program total we estimated, $12,648.

Which Alabama schools offer baking and pastry programs?

Jefferson State (Baking & Pastry Option AAS, 75 credits) and Coastal Alabama (Pastry Baking AAS, 64 credits) offer ACF-accredited baking associate degrees, and Shelton State offers a Baking short-term certificate.

Are any Alabama culinary programs ACF-accredited?

Yes, five colleges are on the American Culinary Federation's list: Bishop State (through December 2027), Jefferson State (through June 2028), Coastal Alabama and Wallace State (through June 2029) and Trenholm State (through December 2029).

Is there a four-year culinary degree in Alabama?

Yes. The University of North Alabama in Florence offers a 121-hour BS in Culinary Arts Management, the only culinary bachelor's we found in the state. At Fall 2026 rates it is an estimated $51,075 in-state over eight semesters.

Culinary schools in nearby states

Culinary Schools inGeorgia→Culinary Schools inTennessee→Culinary Schools inMississippi→Culinary Schools inFlorida→

How we build these lists

Sources

What changed on this page

  • November 2026: rebuilt with 2026-27 tuition, verified standout programs, state pay data and closed-school notes.