Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499
About Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America is a private two-year college in Hyde Park, New York, serving roughly 3,011 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $36,113 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $39,850. Student demographics in federal data include White (45.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (21.6%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Culinary Institute of America charges 36% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($39,850).
- Versus the New York median, sticker tuition is about 2.9×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 62.92%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $47,475.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Culinary Institute of America is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 229% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Institute of America | $39,850 | $36,113 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| New York (state median) | $13,810 | $9,373 | 272 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 9% below published tuition at Culinary Institute of America
Key findings
- Culinary Institute of America's average net price ($36,113) is 9% below published tuition ($39,850).
- Culinary Institute of America charges 36% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($39,850).
- Versus the New York median, sticker tuition is about 2.9×.
Culinary Institute of America tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $39,850
Finding Culinary Institute of America charges 36% above the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $39,850. That is 36% above the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the New York median ($13,810), sticker tuition is about 2.9×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 3.3×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Culinary Institute of America versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Culinary Institute of America versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Culinary Institute of America is $36,113.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $36,113 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $26,740 above the New York median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $17,413 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Culinary Institute of America’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 9% lower after grants and scholarships.
Culinary Institute of America: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Culinary Institute of America—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$39,850
Avg. net price
$36,113
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $29,690 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $29,527 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $34,603 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $38,087 |
| $110,001+ | $41,789 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $159,400. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Culinary Institute of America is known for
Top program completions
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training444
- Restaurant/Food Services Management259
- Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef228
- Culinary Science/Culinology50
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other43
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 34% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1060
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Culinary Institute of America a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Culinary Institute of America is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Culinary Institute of America.
Campus
Location
Hyde Park, NY
City / state
- ZIP
- 12538-1499
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is about 1.9× the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Mid East
- Carnegie
- Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting)
Size
Enrollment
3,011
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 3,960
- Graduate
- 136
- Full-time share
- 96%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$15,750
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 28.94%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Culinary Institute of America.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Culinary Institute of America was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Culinary Institute of America in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $27,720 | $27,720 | $31,870 |
| 2014 | $28,240 | $28,240 | $30,606 |
| 2015 | $29,250 | $29,250 | $30,321 |
| 2016 | $30,730 | $30,730 | $30,905 |
| 2017 | $31,616 | $31,616 | $31,036 |
| 2018 | $32,720 | $32,720 | $30,262 |
| 2019 | $33,690 | $33,690 | $28,546 |
| 2020 | $34,650 | $34,650 | $27,894 |
| 2021 | $35,550 | $35,550 | $27,129 |
| 2022 | $36,620 | $36,620 | $30,130 |
| 2023 | $38,410 | $38,410 | $31,864 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1060 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.20
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Culinary Institute of America reported total enrollment of about 3,011 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 50% male and 50% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (45.9%), Hispanic or Latino (21.6%), and Black or African American (8.2%). About 28.94% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 28.3% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
96.2% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Culinary Institute of America in 2024 is 3,011 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 3,960 students. Graduate enrollment is about 136 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
70.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
50.00% 100% Completion Time
62.92% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 50.00% of students graduating from Culinary Institute of America completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training: 66% male / 34% female
- Restaurant/Food Services Management: 51% male / 49% female
- Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef: 16% male / 84% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Culinary Institute of America graduates earn a median of $47,475 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Culinary Institute of America.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $47,475. Median federal loan debt: $15,750. Average net price used in cost models: $36,113.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Culinary Institute of America graduates report median earnings of $47,475 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Culinary Institute of America.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 7 programs by IPEDS completions (8 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Culinary Institute of America.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Culinary Institute of America graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Culinary Institute of America—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$144.3M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- New York median 3.8× the median ($38.1M)
- Mid East median 3.4× the median ($42.6M)
- U.S. median 5.5× the median ($26.4M)
- New York median 2.4× the median ($15,424)
- Mid East median 2.3× the median ($16,427)
- U.S. median 3.1× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 100.0%
- New York median 46.2 pp above median (53.8%)
- Mid East median 43.1 pp above median (56.9%)
- U.S. median 42.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $10,143
- New York median 1.3× the median ($8,068)
- Mid East median 1.2× the median ($8,119)
- U.S. median 1.3× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $15,686
- New York median 1.4× the median ($10,822)
- Mid East median 1.7× the median ($9,164)
- U.S. median 2.2× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Culinary Institute of America at a glance
Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America is a private non-profit institution in Hyde Park, NY, classified as Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting).
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Culinary Arts/Chef TrainingRestaurant/Food Services ManagementBaking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian45.9%Hispanic or Latino21.6%Black or African American8.2%
Schools near Culinary Institute of America
Other campuses in Hyde Park, NY when available, plus nearby institutions in New York.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within New York, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Culinary Institute of America located?
Culinary Institute of America is located in Hyde Park, NY.
What is Culinary Institute of America's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Culinary Institute of America is 91.1% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 2,161 applicants and 1,983 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Culinary Institute of America's tuition?
Culinary Institute of America tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $39,850 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $36,113 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Culinary Institute of America cost?
Reported tuition is $39,850 and average net price is $36,113 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $15,030 annually.
Why is Culinary Institute of America's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Culinary Institute of America, published tuition is $39,850 while average net price is $36,113—about 9% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Culinary Institute of America's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($36,113), completion (62.9% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($47,475). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Culinary Institute of America?
Culinary Institute of America reports undergraduate enrollment of about 3,960 students, White (45.9%), Hispanic or Latino (21.6%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Culinary Institute of America?
About 28.3% of students at Culinary Institute of America are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Culinary Institute of America?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Culinary Institute of America reports midpoint SAT about 1060.
What do graduates of Culinary Institute of America earn?
Median earnings are $37,846 six years after entry and $47,475 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Culinary Institute of America?
The 150%-time completion rate is 62.9% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Culinary Institute of America students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $15,750.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.