Why Choose The International Culinary Center?

You Won't Just Learn to Cook. You'll Learn to Succeed.

When you come to The International Culinary Center, you’re not coming to cooking school. You’re coming here to learn to be a 21st-century chef. The culinary world is moving so dynamically, that’s it’s almost unrecognizable from even 10 years ago.

If you go to a cooking school, that’s all you’ll learn: cooking. These days, that simply isn’t enough. The International Culinary Center is different because it prepares you for the whole world out there, not just the kitchen.

You come here to network, to observe firsthand the true meaning of world-class performance and even to volunteer and cook with world-famous chefs at events as prestigious as the James Beard Foundation awards or the Pebble Beach Classic. You come here to get a better chance to intern at some of the world’s great restaurants and to be ready to work anywhere in the world. You come here to define and refine your taste and what role it might play in the 21st-century culinary world.

It’s no coincidence that our campuses are geographically placed in the very hearts of culinary excellence. That way, you can have easy access to so much more than the classroom itself.

After spending time at The International Culinary Center and gaining a full appreciation of the whole culinary world, you can be sure that our placement services—which last for the whole of your career—can help you leave here as a thoroughly prepared, international contemporary chef.

Get Started Right Away

Passion doesn’t wait. Many of our classes start every few weeks. Call now and get ready to change your life. Great chefs dive in. So should you. Now.

What Do We Offer that Other Schools Do Not?

We can say a lot of things, but the proof is in the numbers. In 2012, our students had a 91% graduation rate, 0% default rate on Sallie Mae loans, and we posted more than 8,500 job listings, which equates to an average of 6 unique job postings for every graduate. If you want to be successful in this profession, no school can help you attain your dream better than The ICC.

Our motto is that we invest in our students' success. Our kitchens are state of the art, each costing over one-million dollars. We work with Columbia University’s Teachers College to make sure our faculty members are great chefs, but also great teachers. We have an eight-person education team that works on our curriculums to make sure that what you are learning is relevant and has the edge over other institutions. Our world class and universally respected deans help guide us in the 21st century, but keep us classically pure. We have a low student to teacher ratio. We operate our schools in culinary centers so that students can enjoy world class internships while they are in school. Finally, four full-time career placement counselors constantly work at making sure that our grads get the best possible jobs. The International Culinary Center has been at the forefront of the culinary world since 1984, building an unparalleled network of culinary relationships and alumni.

New York of California? Wouldn't Everyone Like that Kind of Choice?

We chose the locations of our campuses with the 21st-century in mind. Each of these places allows you to experience the very best, the most modern and, vitally, the most international tastes, techniques, and talents possible.

New York is the culinary capital of the world. Make it here and you can make it anywhere. You will be taught by instructors acknowledged as some of the world’s best. You will be able to lift up and refine your palate in some of New York’s most admired restaurants. There isn’t a cuisine that you can’t experience in New York. Fortunately, our student dining clubs happen to have excellent contacts with all of them!

In California, we have situated our campus in the heart of the Bay Area, where the world’s most beautiful ingredients are found. When you’re at our California campus, you have easy access to Wine Country, the ocean, the world’s most extraordinary array of produce, and the fulcrum of some of the world’s most innovative cuisine. In recent years, the best Bay Area chefs have shifted world cuisine into gears that no one had ever imagined.

In both cities, many of the most innovative and awarded chefs sit on our Program Advisory Committee, which ensures that the very latest developments and ideas are immediately inserted into our programs.

You'll Be Ready for a World-Class Kitchen in 6 to 9 Months

No school has closer relations with the culinary world. So we know precisely the skills and attitudes you will need to create a wonderful career. We call our method Total Immersion^SM. What this really means is that we ensure that what you learn can be taken to the real-world the minute you leave our doors. It doesn’t take years. It takes passion, focus, and the best chef-instructors in the world.

Classes are Small and Hands-On

Here’s one of the advantages of smaller classes: you get personal attention. Here’s another: you cannot hide. It’s in our interest, as well as yours, to make sure that you don’t just graduate with a piece of paper, but with the skills to back it up and walk straight into a world-class kitchen.

Our Network Extends Around the World

The world’s greatest restaurants and food professionals are constantly in touch with us. As their business expands and refines itself, they know they cannot afford to hire anyone who isn’t first-rate. They need interns. They need full-time staff. But they want to be sure that the people who walk through their doors have been fully prepared in the rigors of the modern world-class kitchen.

Most rewarding for us is that we follow the careers of our alumni, helping them along the way for the whole of their careers. Yes, all of it. In turn, people like Bobby Flay and Dan Barber come back to give back.

Learn from Geniuses

Jacques Pépin, André Soltner, Alain Sailhac, Jacques Torres, Cesare Casella, David Kinch, Emily Luchetti, José Andrés, and Alan Richman. These aren’t mere names. These are people whose skills and knowledge continue to be revered the world over. Their presence and standards immediately give you an idea of how high we set the bar.

We Constantly Have the World's Greatest Chefs Passing Through Our Kitchens

One week it’s Ferran Adrià. Another, it’s Mark Ladner. And then it could be Ron Ben-Israel. The world’s most renowned names constantly come to The International Culinary Center to talk, to demonstrate, and to share their love for food. Your ticket to all of these events is free.

Join Our Student Clubs and Experience What's Happening and Where

Because our campuses are in the very heart of the culinary world’s meccas, you’ll be glad that our student clubs offer you special access to so many of the hottest restaurants, the most progressive farms, and the most innovative wineries in America. You can’t be a 21st-century chef unless you experience first-hand the source of the world’s finest cuisine and the places in which it is being enjoyed.

Cook While You Study in One of Our Real-Life Restaurants

Many people think that the most exciting part of Top Chef is Restaurant Wars. At The International Culinary Center, once you have a little experience, you will be able to experience something similar. Because whether you’re in New York or California, you’ll be asked to cook in one of our restaurants when you are a student of the Classic Culinary Arts program. . In New York, it’s L’Ecole, right in the heart of SoHo, Michelin®recommended, and rated a 25 for Food by Zagat® - One of SoHo’s top food ratings. The customers are real paying New Yorkers who are used to the best and expect it. In California, we have the Monte Bello Dining Room. There, the customers are used to experiencing the finest produce treated in the most innovative ways. No pressure, you understand. No one can give you such first-hand access, day after day, to those who will be paying for your meals now and in the future.

The International Culinary Center is Nationally Accredited

The International Culinary Center is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and therefore qualifies for National Federal Funding helping many of our students receive Financial Aid. The International Culinary Center is also licensed by the New York and California State Education Departments. Students may obtain information regarding availability of comparable programs, including tuition, fees, and program length from the ACCSC.