Culinary Arts and Hospitality Degrees in Idaho

To anyone other than a chef, Idaho may be all potatoes in the food department, but Idaho has a rich and dynamic food scene, plus a few excellent cooking schools that set it well above and beyond the realm of simple potato patch.

Choosing a Culinary School in Idaho

Boise, Twin Falls, and upscale Coeur d’Alene are some of the hidden culinary hotspots. The schools below offer a diversity of degrees including chef’s training, food and nutrition studies, food technology and hospitality, restaurant and culinary arts management. These cover the gamut of possible food service industry jobs and positions available in various areas of Idaho:

• Chef or pastry chef/baker in a restaurant or bistro
• Chef in a hotel, resort or spa kitchen
• Restaurant manager
• Kitchen manager—front of the house, back of the house
• Hotel manager

Boise and Beyond: Getting a Chef’s Job

Expect the culinary school you choose to be amply armed with the tools necessary to secure you a solid job in any market in the country:

• Internship, externship and apprenticeship opportunities in Idaho, nationally or abroad
• Professional chef/instructors, possible visiting/guest chefs
• Stacked professional teaching and demo kitchens
• Student-run restaurant catering to a demanding public
• Career guidance short-term and long-term
• Job placement

Because the market is a bit slimmer in Idaho for chefs consider membership in a local chapter of a leading professional association, such as the American Culinary Federation’s Chefs de Cuisine – Boise Chapter, Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest – Coeur d’Alene Chapter. Pro industry groups like these bring together likeminded culinary professionals committed to growth and support of their careers and the regional industry. You gain access to valuable job boards, have occasion to interact and network (build valuable connections), and you may have access to scholarships and educational events.

Look for well-paying chef’s jobs in the larger cities—Boise and Twin Falls. Salaries across the state vary depending upon your education, professional experience, location and type of establishment in which you’ll work. Average salary for a sous chef in Boise is $30,000+ and for an executive chef, $40,000+.*

List of Idaho Cooking Schools

Boise State University - Boise
College of Southern Idaho - Twin Falls
Idaho State University - Pocatello
Lewis-Clark State College – Lewiston
North Idaho College - Coeur d’Alene
Ricks College – Rexburg
University of Idaho – Moscow

*Indeed.com