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Culinary school in Maine

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

5 schools offer these culinary arts programs, and Maine 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 Maine, 2 of the 6 programs take students without a high school diploma, 3 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 6 programs here are culinary arts (associate degree, 2 programs), culinary arts certificate or diploma (2 programs), culinary program (level not stated, 1 program) and cooking and kitchen job training (1 program).

See the 6 programs

How much does culinary school cost in Maine?

$3,050 to $4,896 is what most culinary programs in Maine cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 5 programs with a price. All of them: $2,244 to $9,085

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not reported
None of the 6 programs report it

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

Is there free culinary school in Maine?

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

All 6 culinary programs in Maine approved for WIOA funding

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6 programs

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

    Culinary Arts

    Southern Maine Community College

    South Portland

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southern Maine Community College, South PortlandCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$29,100
    Price if you pay yourself$4,896
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Southern Maine Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Southern Maine Community College
    Finished
    19%
    Working at 6 months
    56%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,278
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    $2,800
    Students counted
    72
    Earned a year, estimated
    $29,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,896
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Southern Maine Community College

  • Culinary program (level not stated)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts

    Central Maine Community College

    Auburn

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Central Maine Community College, AuburnCulinary program (level not stated) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$23,200
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Central Maine Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Central Maine Community College
    Finished
    23%
    Working at 6 months
    91%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,795
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    26
    Earned a year, estimated
    $23,200
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Culinary Arts at Central Maine Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaHybridNo diploma needed

    Culinary Arts

    Kennebec Valley Community College

    Fairfield

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Kennebec Valley Community College, FairfieldCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$15,500
    Price if you pay yourself$9,085
    School website, Culinary Arts at Kennebec Valley Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts at Kennebec Valley Community College
    Finished
    35%
    Working at 6 months
    68%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,866
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    20
    Earned a year, estimated
    $15,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    $9,085
    School website, Culinary Arts at Kennebec Valley Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts AAS

    Eastern Maine Community College

    Bangor

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Eastern Maine Community College, BangorCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$14,600
    Price if you pay yourself$4,488
    School website, Culinary Arts AAS at Eastern Maine Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts AAS at Eastern Maine Community College
    Finished
    41%
    Working at 6 months
    70%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,648
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    17
    Earned a year, estimated
    $14,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,488
    School website, Culinary Arts AAS at Eastern Maine Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaHybridEducation and courses

    Culinary Arts Food Service Specialist Certificate

    Eastern Maine Community College

    Bangor

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Eastern Maine Community College, BangorCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,244
    School website, Culinary Arts Food Service Specialist Certificate at Eastern Maine Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts Food Service Specialist Certificate at Eastern Maine Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,244
    School website, Culinary Arts Food Service Specialist Certificate at Eastern Maine Community College

  • Cooking and kitchen job trainingHybridNo diploma needed

    Culinary Training with Kitchen Manager Certification

    RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult Education

    Livermore Falls

    No diploma needed

    RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult Education, Livermore FallsCooking and kitchen job trainingHybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$3,050
    Program website, Culinary Training with Kitchen Manager Certification at RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult Education
    More details about Culinary Training with Kitchen Manager Certification at RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult Education
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,050
    Program website, Culinary Training with Kitchen Manager Certification at RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult Education

How to pay for culinary school in Maine

WIOA funding can pay for culinary school in Maine

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 Maine

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
6th of 28
culinary programs here, against the typical state's 8
6 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 Lewiston, Bangor, Portland and other Maine cities

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

Other training in Maine

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

Where the Maine culinary arts program numbers come from

Which Maine culinary arts programs are on this list?

These are the culinary arts programs Maine 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 Maine offers.

How the prices and results of Maine 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 Maine

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