Welcome Parents

Making the Best Choice

As the world’s premier culinary college, the CIA has a stellar reputation throughout the food world. Our mission—to provide the world’s best professional culinary education—is supported by a specialized liberal arts curriculum unique among culinary schools, balancing hands-on culinary and baking and pastry fundamentals with broad-based courses about the food business. We believe we are in the best position to guide your son or daughter to a successful career in the diverse foodservice industry. However, we also realize choosing the college that is right for your child is a very important decision. Our guide to choosing a culinary college will help you assess the quality of different culinary colleges and decide which program offers the greatest possible chance for success.

Merit Aid Scholarship Opportunities

For your convenience, the CIA provides a Merit Scholarship Estimator, designed to provide you with the best estimate of your child’s merit scholarship based on their academic information. You will get an estimate right away, as well as a free printed guide. Complete the online Merit Scholarship Estimator today.

Merit Aid Calculator

We are very committed to making your child’s education as affordable as possible. Our costs are comparable to other private colleges, and here’s even better news—approximately 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid.*
*Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

Your Child at the CIA

Your child has a passion for food, and deserves the opportunity for a happy, challenging, and enriching college experience at a place where everyone speaks the same language. The Culinary Institute of America offers the outstanding faculty, facilities, and academic programs that have been creating leaders of the foodservice and hospitality industry for more than 65 years. Our graduates are considered among the elite of the profession, and the education your son or daughter receives will be recognized throughout the food world.

The CIA strives to provide an atmosphere where students can grow both personally and professionally. Our program is rigorous and demanding; we intend it to be. After all, we are cultivating the future leaders of the culinary world. Every student who begins our programs has the potential to be the next great foodservice professional.

Thanks in part to our truly exceptional resources—including state-of-the-art professional kitchens and bakeshops, experienced faculty, and one-of-a-kind curriculum—the CIA is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges, the same agency that accredits other prestigious colleges and universities such as Columbia, Cornell, and Vassar. Middle States accreditation recognizes the quality of our college, helps CIA students pursue post-graduate studies, and represents a natural step in the increasing professionalism of the culinary field.

We encourage you to take a closer look at our college. Browse our website, even plan a visit to our campus—see for yourself why The Culinary Institute of America is the choice for your child’s future.

Visiting Campus

You can read our publications or check out our website, but nothing quite compares to a real, live visit to one of our dynamic campuses. The more you learn about us, the more you’ll realize we can give your son or daughter the best preparation for culinary career success. Our Admissions Department offers a variety of campus visit events across the U.S. for parents and prospective students throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to:

• Learn about the CIA’s bachelor’s and associate degree programs, as well as our certificate programs.
• Tour our campuses.
• Meet our regional Admissions officers who will be available to answer all your individual questions.
• Speak with a member of our Student Financial & Registration Services Office staff.