Key Takeaways:
- Our #1 ranking affordable culinary arts school is the College of the Ozarks, followed by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts – Scottsdale.
- Culinary arts degrees offer practical benefits for stay-at-home moms, emphasizing meal preparation skills critical for family life.
- The article evaluates programs based on cost, graduation rates, and practical training, aiming to identify high-quality, cost-effective options.
Welcome to our ranking of Degrees for Stay at Home Moms: 10 Most Affordable Values in Culinary Arts.
Women who anticipate spending several years raising a family and creating a home can significantly benefit from a degree in culinary arts. An experienced stay-at-home mom (SAHM) will tell you that preparing meals becomes a significant part of everyday life as kids grow. You will surely want to prepare meals with confidence and artistic flair, rather than falling into a humdrum pattern of the same old, same old. We also have a great ranking of schools for non-traditional students.
Featured Programs
Our initial pool of the 68 existing bachelor’s degree programs in specific areas of the culinary arts (Baking and Pastry Arts, Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts and Related Services, Culinary Arts/Chef Training, Culinary Science/Culinology, Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant, Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management, and Personal Culinary Services on the National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator) was reduced to the 51 programs costing under $20,000 in annual tuition/fees (in-state where applicable).
As a value indication, we further narrowed our pool to the 10 finalists with the highest graduation rates, so you can be assured that among these 10, you will receive a quality education with higher student support levels at a reasonable price. The number one-ranked school had the highest graduation rate. In the case of a tie in graduation rate, the school with the lower tuition and fees was ranked higher.
1. College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, Missouri
The Culinary Arts major at College of the Ozarks appeals to future stay-at-home moms who want a significant experiential component to their training beyond the classroom. Since College of the Ozarks is a work university, tuition is waived in exchange for students working significant hours at workstations across campus.
Thus, majors in Culinary Arts will work some 1800 hours in the food and beverage center over six semesters, thereby gaining a wealth of food experience. With a 63% graduation rate and no tuition costs, the bachelor’s in Culinary Arts at College of the Ozarks is tops among our degrees for stay-at-home moms.
Graduation rate: 63%
Tuition and fees: $0
2. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts – Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Website – No longer available.
If you are looking for a relevant stay-at-home mom degree in a flexible 100% online degree completion format, the bachelor’s in Culinary Management at Le Cordon Bleu should be at the top of your list. The program offers a very affordable tuition rate and solid student support, as evidenced by a 54% graduation rate.
You will develop the managerial skills necessary to feel at ease in the kitchen, whether you are cooking for your own immediate family, the extended family, or a crowd of friends on special occasions.
Graduation rate: 54%
Tuition and fees: $11,377
3. The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg
Schaumburg, Illinois
Degrees for stay-at-home moms at the Illinois Institute of Art include Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. If you have a particular interest in Italian cuisine, take a look at this program in which you can take short culinary courses in Italy.
Check out the website for a video of the student experience in this exciting study abroad opportunity.
Graduation rate: 51%
Tuition and fees: $17,485
4. Argosy University – The Art Institute of California – San Diego
San Diego, California
The Culinary Management undergraduate program at the Art Institute of California – San Diego is a solid option for Southern Californians seeking degrees for stay-at-home moms.
Here, you will learn a broad base of diverse skills to keep you on top of the food scene on the home front and beyond. These include finances, leadership, training, and working with others in the culinary context.
Graduation rate: 49%
Tuition and fees: $18,744
5. Lincoln College of Technology – West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
The Lincoln Culinary Institute is a division of the Lincoln College of Technology. Here, future stay-at-home moms can learn cooking, baking, and prepping directly from experienced chefs. You will also get out of the Institute’s kitchen to expand your culinary horizons in other contexts, including Café Protégé, where students run the show.
If you are in the hunt for great degrees for stay-at-home moms in the Southeast, put this one at the top of your list.
Graduation rate: 45%
Tuition and fees: $15,650
6. The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
The Culinary Arts Management Bachelor of Science is one of those degrees for stay-at-home moms that places you in a learning environment that will get you excited about your future activities. Not only is Nashville a cultural hotspot in many respects, but it is also hard to beat the cultural vitality of the restaurant and hospitality industry as a whole.
Internationally-minded future family chefs will be at home in this diverse program at the Art Institute of Tennessee.
Graduation rate: 45%
Tuition and fees: $17,592
7. Texas Woman’s University
Denton, Texas
The Bachelor of Applied Science in Culinary Science and Food Service Management was included in our degrees for stay-at-home moms because of its affordable tuition and higher graduation rate among similar programs.
Stay-at-home moms will have a strong theoretical base from which to run their kitchens, and who knows? Perhaps one day, this degree will serve you well when you start a family restaurant or bistro business. This is an excellent stay-at-home mom degree to keep your options open with skills that are always needed.
Graduation rate: 44%
Tuition and fees: $6,948
8. Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota
Among the degrees for stay-at-home moms available in the Midwest, the Culinary Science undergraduate degree at Southwest Minnesota State should be considered excellent preparation at an affordable price. “Culinology” blends the culinary arts with food science to place nutrition in the context of the chef’s artistic expression.
Experienced stay-at-home moms will tell you that nutrition know-how is just as important as artistic flair when it comes to feeding a family well.
Graduation rate: 43%
Tuition and fees: $8,326
9. Argosy University – The Art Institute of California – Silicon Valley
Sunnyvale, California
Suppose you are an aspiring stay-at-home mom, either from the Silicon Valley or who would love to study at the American mecca of technology and innovation. In that case, Argosy University offers a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Management.
One of the fun features of this program is the student-run bistro, which allows students to put theory into practice immediately for an appreciative clientele. Courses at Silicon Valley include Asian, European, and World Cuisine, as well as offerings in Pastry.
Graduation rate: 43%
Tuition and fees: $18,744
10. The Art Institute of Michigan
Novi, Michigan
Future stay-at-home moms who want to focus on preparing excellent meals in the years to come may be interested in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Culinary Management at the Art Institute of Michigan. Learning is hands-on and competency-based.
Students learn how to solve complex problems and create high-quality dishes based on sound culinary theory and terminology. Pictured is Rachael Ray teaming up with the Art Institute to help renovate a downtown youth kitchen and teach culinary skills.
Graduation rate: 42%
Tuition and fees: $15,396
This concludes our ranking of Degrees for Stay at Home Moms: 10 Most Affordable Values in Culinary Arts.
By CVO Staff
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