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Culinary school in Kentucky

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

3 schools offer these culinary arts programs, and Kentucky 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 Kentucky, all 3 programs take students without a high school diploma.

By kind, the 3 programs here are culinary arts (associate degree, 2 programs) and culinary program (level not stated, 1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does culinary school cost in Kentucky?

$11,152

is the price of the one program that lists a price, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 3 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not reported
None of the 3 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
None of the 3 programs report it
Length
Left out
The figure filed fails our checks

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

Is there free culinary school in Kentucky?

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

All 3 culinary programs in Kentucky approved for WIOA funding

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3 programs

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Culinary Arts

    Southcentral KY Community and Technical College

    Bowling Green

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Southcentral KY Community and Technical College, Bowling GreenCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$11,152
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Southcentral KY Community and Technical College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Southcentral KY Community and Technical College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Left out
    Cost of supplies
    $3,625
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $11,152
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Southcentral KY Community and Technical College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General

    Austin Peay State University

    Clarksville, TN

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TNCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Classes are outside Kentucky; Kentucky approved the program for its funding.

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    Program website, Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General at Austin Peay State University
    More details about Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General at Austin Peay State University
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Not reported
    Program website, Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General at Austin Peay State University

  • Culinary program (level not stated)In personNo diploma needed

    Culinary Science/Culinology

    Madisonville Community College

    Madisonville

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Madisonville Community College, MadisonvilleCulinary program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    Program website, Culinary Science/Culinology at Madisonville Community College
    More details about Culinary Science/Culinology at Madisonville Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Not reported
    Program website, Culinary Science/Culinology at Madisonville Community College

How to pay for culinary school in Kentucky

WIOA funding can pay for culinary school in Kentucky

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.

Culinary school in Bowling Green, Clarksville, Madisonville and other Kentucky cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Kentucky

Where the Kentucky culinary arts program numbers come from

Which Kentucky culinary arts programs are on this list?

These are the culinary arts programs Kentucky 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 Kentucky offers.

How the prices and results of Kentucky 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 Kentucky

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