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If you’re serious about pursuing a culinary career, one of the first decisions you’ll make is how and where to gain the training and experience you need to land a job. Rapid expansion in the food-preparation industry has increased the demand for skilled and qualified candidates, and employers increasingly favor candidates with formal education in the field.

There are now more options than ever when it comes to picking a cooking school or culinary program. More than 500 trade schools, colleges and universities offer programs in the culinary arts, and this number continues to grow each year. Of these, more than 200 are accredited the American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACFF), the field’s primary accrediting body.

With all these cooking schools to choose from, picking the right one for you might seem like a daunting task. But there are several things to consider that will help you make an informed decision.

Length of Program
Your primary consideration will be how long you want to devote to training and the type of job and working environment you want to enter upon graduation. Programs can range from two months to two years or longer. Shorter programs, offered by vocational or trade-schools, typically teach food handling and sanitation procedures, nutrition, slicing and dicing techniques, and basic cooking methods. These programs lead to a certificate or diploma. Longer programs that lead to a certificate or a 2- or 4-year degree train chefs for fine-dining or upscale restaurants. They offer a wider array of training specialties, including advanced cooking techniques, international styles of cuisine, and large-scale food preparation.

Types of Programs
Culinary institutes, cooking schools, and apprenticeship programs offer professional culinary training. Cooking classes also provide culinary training, although these classes are typically of short duration and intended to provide serious home cooks experience with new techniques and cuisines.

Culinary institutes offer cream-of-the-crop education for those who are serious about becoming certified culinary professionals. They generally offer degree, diploma, or certificate programs. Cooking schools are smaller versions of culinary institutes for serious cooks who want specialized training. They generally offer certificate or diploma programs only. Training at either type of school can last from two months to four years. The primary difference is that many industry professionals consider culinary institutes more prestigious, so they are consequently more costly to attend.

Apprenticeship programs combine on-the-job training with formal classroom education. Programs sponsored by the ACFF usually require two to three years of full-time work combined with a minimum of 12 courses in culinary-related topics from an accredited or approved institution or college.

Specialty Training
Once you have made a decision about the length and type of program you want to attend, you can narrow your selections by looking for a school that focuses on aspects of the culinary arts you are most interested in. For instance, if you are motivated to become a pastry chef, make sure the coursework and curricula include sufficient training in that area. If you don’t yet know what area of study you want to specialize in, see if the school offers a broad introductory program that will allow you to explore the possibilities before declaring a concentration.

Other Things to Consider
You’ll also want to compare schools on the basis of placement rates, student-to-faculty ratios and accreditation. Ask about opportunities for externships at restaurants or other food establishments where you’d eventually like to work. Talk to current students or recent graduates to get their first-hand perspective. You might even sit in on a class to get a feel for the teaching approach. If you need to continue working or have other obligations that stand in the way of a traditional schedule, make sure the program offers flexible or part-time training.

Training on the Job
Learning your skills as you work is certainly an option. It will be a slower track, and your training will be limited to the type of cuisine served in the kitchen where you’re working and the duties associated with your position. If you are unable to devote the time or resources to a formal education, an apprenticeship program that combines on-the-job training with technical classroom instruction might be a better choice. The ACFF sponsors 80 apprenticeship programs in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

Tuition
The costs of your education will vary widely depending on the length of program you choose, the school’s prestige, and the level of degree it awards. Bear in mind some cooking schools and culinary institutes include the costs of textbooks, cooking supplies and uniforms in their tuition and some do not. Be sure to find out which is the case, and ask for an estimate of these costs if they are not included. Many schools offer financial aid packages and scholarships to their students, so ask an admissions counselor about the availability, requirements, and selection criteria for these forms of assistance.