Vermont has no colleges in the federal data that report culinary graduates to the U.S. Department of Education, so most Vermont residents who want a culinary credential train in a neighboring state or online. Below are the options that do exist, checked in November 2026, and the closest alternatives.
Our school table normally lists every college in a state that reported culinary graduates to the U.S. Department of Education and whose own catalog still shows the program. For Vermont it is empty: no Vermont college offers a culinary arts or baking & pastry degree or certificate in 2026-27, and the American Culinary Federation’s accredited program list has no Vermont entry. The options below were checked on each school’s website.
What Vermont residents can do
What happened to the New England Culinary Institute?
Many people searching for a “Vermont culinary institute” are looking for the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Montpelier. The for-profit school, founded in 1980, announced in late December 2020 that it would discontinue all credit-bearing programs. Its last five students were on externship and due to graduate by April 2021, and its Montpelier campus, restaurant and bakery closed permanently. Enrollment had fallen from about 800 in 1999 to 50 by February 2020. North Coast College in Cleveland, Ohio, is the institution of record for NECI students after the teach-out. No Vermont college has replaced it.
Vermont State University: butchery certificate (Randolph Center)
The only credit-bearing food-preparation credential we found in Vermont is Vermont State University’s “Applied Meat Processing & Butchery Arts Certificate”, 13 to 30 credits, with online courses and in-person intensives at Randolph Center. It includes a course in culinary techniques for meat cookery and can be taken alone or added to a degree. It is a butchery certificate, not culinary school, and it is not ACF-accredited. It suits cooks and career changers interested in meat processing or butchery.
Vermont State University: Resort & Hospitality Management (Killington)
Vermont State’s “Resort & Hospitality Management, B.S.” is taught in person at Killington. It is a hospitality management degree, not cooking training.
Culinary school in nearby states
For a culinary or baking degree, Vermonters study out of state. Our guides to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York (including the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park) and Maine list every program with costs. Through the New England Board of Higher Education’s Tuition Break, Vermont residents may get reduced tuition at public colleges in other New England states for eligible programs; check with each college.
Is Vermont getting a culinary school?
Not yet. According to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the legislature’s 2026 economic development bill, S.327, included a study of how to rebuild Vermont’s hospitality workforce pipeline and a two-year hospitality and culinary apprenticeship pilot. No new school has been announced.
What culinary training costs in Vermont
Vermont State University’s 2026-27 tuition is $462 per credit for Vermont residents and $923 for out-of-state students, plus a $71-per-credit fee for in-person study; its standard online rate is $402 per credit. The university does not say which rate applies to the hybrid butchery certificate, so at the in-state rate it would cost an estimated $6,006 to $13,860 in tuition for 13 to 30 credits, or $11,999 to $27,690 out of state. The Killington hospitality degree costs $11,088 a year in in-state tuition plus a $2,882 trimester fee. See our methodology.
Culinary jobs and pay in Vermont
Vermont pays above the national median in all four of these kitchen jobs.
| Job | Jobs in Vermont | Median pay in Vermont | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant cooks | 2,360 | $45,390 | $37,390 |
| Bakers | 580 | $39,980 | $37,160 |
| Chefs and head cooks | 610 | $65,440 | $62,470 |
| Food service managers | 500 | $77,910 | $69,390 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Studying online from Vermont?
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 Vermont residents. We compare every option, with accreditation and outcomes, on our online culinary schools page.
Closed or changed schools you may still see listed
- New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier: ended all credit programs after a teach-out that finished by April 2021.
- Burlington Technical Center: older directories describe a culinary program, but its current program and adult-education pages list no adult culinary program.
Vermont culinary school FAQs
How many culinary schools are in Vermont?
None at college level. No Vermont college offers a culinary arts or baking and pastry degree or certificate in 2026-27; the only credit option is Vermont State University's Applied Meat Processing & Butchery Arts Certificate in Randolph Center.
What happened to the New England Culinary Institute (the Vermont culinary institute)?
The New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier announced in late December 2020 that it would end all credit programs, and its last students finished by April 2021. North Coast College in Cleveland, Ohio, is its institution of record.
How much does culinary training cost in Vermont?
There is no culinary degree to price. Vermont State University's butchery certificate would cost an estimated $6,006 to $13,860 in tuition for 13 to 30 credits at the 2026-27 in-state rate of $462 per credit, though the university does not say which rate applies to this hybrid program.
What is the cheapest way for Vermonters to study culinary arts?
Usually a public community college in a neighboring state; New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break can reduce tuition for Vermont residents in eligible programs. Online diplomas are another route, such as Escoffier's $22,800 baking and pastry diploma.
Where can I study baking and pastry near Vermont?
No Vermont school offers baking and pastry. Our New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Maine guides list programs within driving distance, and accredited online baking diplomas are available.
Is Vermont getting a new culinary school?
No new school has been announced. According to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the 2026 economic development bill S.327 included a study of rebuilding culinary and hospitality education and a two-year apprenticeship pilot.
Culinary schools in nearby states
Sources
- Seven Days, New England Culinary Institute to Close Its Doors, retrieved November 9, 2026
- Valley News / AP, New England Culinary Institute to close after 40 years, retrieved November 9, 2026
- Vermont State University, Applied Meat Processing & Butchery Arts Certificate, retrieved November 9, 2026
- Vermont State University, Resort & Hospitality Management B.S., retrieved November 9, 2026
- Vermont State University, Tuition and Fees, retrieved November 9, 2026
- Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Vermont economic development bill S.327, retrieved November 9, 2026
- Burlington Technical Center, All Programs, retrieved November 9, 2026
- American Culinary Federation, Accredited Postsecondary Programs, retrieved November 9, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, retrieved November 9, 2026