Private For-Profit Associate Strong 78/100

Institute of Culinary Education

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Pasadena, California

About Institute of Culinary Education

Thinking about Institute of Culinary Education, a college in California where more students graduate in Personal Services than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Institute of Culinary Education is a private for-profit institution offering associate degrees based in Pasadena, California. It enrolls 553 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
86.6%
Net Price
—
Median Earnings (10yr)
$47,865
Enrollment
553
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Academic Calendar Continuous

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
78/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 89
Value —
Affordability 32
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Institute of Culinary Education admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. Institute of Culinary Education has not reported one, so ask the financial aid office for a written estimate before comparing it against anywhere else.

Average Net Price
—
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
45%
Borrowing to attend

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,728
10% percentile
$3,972
25% percentile
$6,439
Median percentile
$6,861
75% percentile
$6,861
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $3,972 ↓ $2,467
No Pell $4,561 ↓ $1,878
Dependent students $3,915 ↓ $2,524
Independent students $6,671 ↑ $232
Female students $3,972 ↓ $2,467
Male students $3,972 ↓ $2,467
Pell recipients: 14.7% (945 students)No Pell: 16.9% (1,085 students)Dependent students: 14.5% (931 students)Independent students: 24.6% (1,587 students)Female students: 14.7% (945 students)Male students: 14.7% (945 students)Overall Median$6,439
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,431, less than completers ($6,439), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

87% of students who start here finish within six years, and 84% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
87%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
84%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $47,865 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,865
Earning > $25K
70%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$35,000$39,000$42,000$46,000$50,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.1 pts across 6 years
71.7%1yr79.5%3yr83.8%5yr
What this signals: Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 553 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 44% are the first in their family to go to college, and 88% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
553
Part-Time
88%
First-Generation
44%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 28.4% 157
Hispanic 24.4% 135
Other 13.6% 75
Asian 10.5% 58
Black 9.2% 51
International 9.0% 50
White: 28.4% (157 students)Hispanic: 24.4% (135 students)Other: 13.6% (75 students)Asian: 10.5% (58 students)Black: 9.2% (51 students)International: 9.0% (50 students)Total553

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Institute of Culinary Education. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Pasadena, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
52% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Continuous scheduling structure
Designation
Branch campus

What You Can Study

Institute of Culinary Education offers a focused set of programs: 2 distinct programs across 1 major. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$27,413
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

19 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
No Rank 19 100% $27,413

Pros & Cons of Institute of Culinary Education

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Institute of Culinary Education is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Strong six-year graduation rate
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Institute of Culinary Education is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Institute of Culinary Education

The questions families ask most about Institute of Culinary Education, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Institute of Culinary Education hard to get into?
Not especially. Institute of Culinary Education admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Institute of Culinary Education?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
What is Institute of Culinary Education known for?
Mostly Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Institute of Culinary Education graduates earn?
About $47,865 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Institute of Culinary Education accredited?
Yes. Institute of Culinary Education is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
How many students attend Institute of Culinary Education?
553 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Institute of Culinary Education?
87% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Institute of Culinary Education a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Institute of Culinary Education located?
Institute of Culinary Education is located in Pasadena, California.
What programs does Institute of Culinary Education offer?
2 different programs, most commonly Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Institute of Culinary Education?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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