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Culinary school in Iowa

8 culinary programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

6 schools offer these culinary arts programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Chefs and head cooks run the daily food preparation in restaurants and other places that serve food. Most start with a high school diploma and kitchen experience; some go through a culinary program at a community college, technical school or culinary school, and others learn in an apprenticeship.1

In Iowa, 2 of the 8 programs take students without a high school diploma and 6 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 8 programs here are culinary arts (associate degree, 5 programs), culinary arts certificate or diploma (2 programs) and cooking and kitchen job training (1 program).

See the 8 programs

How much does culinary school cost in Iowa?

Two-year degrees (5 programs)
$13,260 to $14,070most of them, usually 64 to 80 weeks long
Other culinary arts programs (3 programs)
$2,561 to $5,910all 3 with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
54%
Working 6 months later
79%
Earned a year, estimated
about $22,000
Length
28 to 76 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer culinary school. How these figures are made

Is there free culinary school in Iowa?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 8 culinary programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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8 programs

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts AAS

    Des Moines Area Community College

    Ankeny

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Des Moines Area Community College, AnkenyCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$26,300
    Price if you pay yourself$12,765
    Program website, Culinary Arts AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    Finished
    36%
    Working at 6 months
    88%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,565
    Length
    74 weeks, 21 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,885
    Students counted
    594
    Earned a year, estimated
    $26,300
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,765
    Program website, Culinary Arts AAS at Des Moines Area Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Culinary Arts

    Kirkwood Community College

    Cedar Rapids

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Kirkwood Community College, Cedar RapidsCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$23,000
    Price if you pay yourself$14,070
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Kirkwood Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Kirkwood Community College
    Finished
    34%
    Working at 6 months
    80%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,741
    Length
    64 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $5,180
    Students counted
    323
    Earned a year, estimated
    $23,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $14,070
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Kirkwood Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts

    Indian Hills Community College

    Ottumwa

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Indian Hills Community College, OttumwaCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$20,000
    Price if you pay yourself$24,933
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Indian Hills Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Indian Hills Community College
    Finished
    46%
    Working at 6 months
    83%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,004
    Length
    84 weeks, 12 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    112
    Earned a year, estimated
    $20,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $24,933
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Indian Hills Community College

  • Cooking and kitchen job trainingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Food Preparation - Certificate

    Western Iowa Tech Community College

    Sioux City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityCooking and kitchen job training · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$21,000
    Price if you pay yourself$2,561
    Program website, Food Preparation - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    More details about Food Preparation - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    Finished
    62%
    Working at 6 months
    79%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,254
    Length
    16 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $297
    Students counted
    95
    Earned a year, estimated
    $21,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,561
    Program website, Food Preparation - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Food Services - Diploma

    Western Iowa Tech Community College

    Sioux City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$23,100
    Price if you pay yourself$5,910
    Program website, Food Services - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    More details about Food Services - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    Finished
    74%
    Working at 6 months
    65%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,772
    Length
    32 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $594
    Students counted
    46
    Earned a year, estimated
    $23,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $5,910
    Program website, Food Services - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Culinary Foundations *CUL.CPC

    Northeast Iowa Community College

    Calmar

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Northeast Iowa Community College, CalmarCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$11,100
    Price if you pay yourself$2,699
    Program website, Culinary Foundations *CUL.CPC at Northeast Iowa Community College
    More details about Culinary Foundations *CUL.CPC at Northeast Iowa Community College
    Finished
    67%
    Working at 6 months
    50%
    Earned in a quarter
    $2,763
    Length
    8 weeks, 11 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    12
    Earned a year, estimated
    $11,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,699
    Program website, Culinary Foundations *CUL.CPC at Northeast Iowa Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts: Culinary & Hospitality Management - Associate of Applied Science

    Iowa Western Community College

    Council Bluffs

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Western Community College, Council BluffsCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$13,260
    Program website, Culinary Arts: Culinary & Hospitality Management - Associate of Applied Science at Iowa Western Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts: Culinary & Hospitality Management - Associate of Applied Science at Iowa Western Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,630
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $13,260
    Program website, Culinary Arts: Culinary & Hospitality Management - Associate of Applied Science at Iowa Western Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts - AAS

    Western Iowa Tech Community College

    Sioux City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$13,696
    Program website, Culinary Arts - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    80 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,100
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $13,696
    Program website, Culinary Arts - AAS at Western Iowa Tech Community College

How to pay for culinary school in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for culinary school in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for culinary school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for culinary school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Culinary school in Iowa

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
28th of 28
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
5 of 15
culinary programs here, against the typical state's 8
8 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the culinary school by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Culinary school in Sioux City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Iowa

How culinary school compares with the rest of food and hospitality: Culinary and hospitality programs in Iowa

Where the Iowa culinary arts program numbers come from

Which Iowa culinary arts programs are on this list?

These are the culinary arts programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa culinary arts programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about culinary school in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Chefs and Head Cooks
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List