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Culinary school in Hawaii

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

5 schools offer these culinary arts programs, and Hawaii 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 Hawaii, 1 of the 7 programs asks for a high school diploma or equivalent and 6 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 7 programs here are culinary arts certificate or diploma (3 programs), culinary arts (associate degree, 2 programs) and cooking and kitchen job training (2 programs).

See the 7 programs

How much does culinary school cost in Hawaii?

$4,131 to $8,192 is what most culinary programs in Hawaii cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 7 programs with a price. All of them: $4,000 to $9,170

In the typical program

Finished the program
44%
Working 6 months later
70%
Earned a year, estimated
about $26,200
Length
26 to 46 weeks

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

Is there free culinary school in Hawaii?

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

All 7 culinary programs in Hawaii approved for WIOA funding

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7 programs

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)HybridEducation and courses

    Culinary Arts (Associate Degree)

    Leeward Community College

    Pearl City

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Leeward Community College, Pearl CityCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$22,400
    Price if you pay yourself$8,524
    School website, Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Leeward Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Leeward Community College
    Finished
    46%
    Working at 6 months
    79%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,612
    Length
    64 weeks, 35 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    268
    Earned a year, estimated
    $22,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $8,524
    School website, Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Leeward Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Culinary Arts

    University of Hawaii - Maui College

    Kahului

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    University of Hawaii - Maui College, KahuluiCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$28,100
    Price if you pay yourself$7,860

    3 students trained with WIOA funding

    More details about Culinary Arts at University of Hawaii - Maui College
    Finished
    42%
    Working at 6 months
    83%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,034
    Length
    30 weeks, 17 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    167
    Earned a year, estimated
    $28,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $7,860
    students trained with WIOA funding
    3

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personEducation and courses

    Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement)

    Kapiolani Community College

    Honolulu

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Kapiolani Community College, HonoluluCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$27,800
    Price if you pay yourself$6,419
    Program website, Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Kapiolani Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Kapiolani Community College
    Finished
    17%
    Working at 6 months
    61%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,961
    Length
    30 weeks, 33 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    23
    Earned a year, estimated
    $27,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,419
    Program website, Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Kapiolani Community College

  • Culinary arts (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Culinary Arts (Associate Degree)

    Kapiolani Community College

    Honolulu

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Kapiolani Community College, HonoluluCulinary arts (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$26,200
    Price if you pay yourself$9,170
    School website, Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Kapiolani Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Kapiolani Community College
    Finished
    69%
    Working at 6 months
    70%
    Earned in a quarter
    $6,550
    Length
    60 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    23
    Earned a year, estimated
    $26,200
    Price if you pay yourself
    $9,170
    School website, Culinary Arts (Associate Degree) at Kapiolani Community College

  • Culinary arts certificate or diplomaHybridEducation and courses

    Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement)

    Leeward Community College

    Pearl City

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Leeward Community College, Pearl CityCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$23,700
    Price if you pay yourself$4,262
    School website, Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Leeward Community College
    More details about Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Leeward Community College
    Finished
    18%
    Working at 6 months
    35%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,926
    Length
    32 weeks, 22 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    20
    Earned a year, estimated
    $23,700
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,262
    School website, Culinary Arts (Certificate of Achievement) at Leeward Community College

  • Cooking and kitchen job trainingIn personEducation and courses

    Professional Cook Training Program

    Banquet Solutions Hawaii

    Honolulu

    Education and courses

    Banquet Solutions Hawaii, HonoluluCooking and kitchen job trainingIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,000

    11 students trained with WIOA funding

    More details about Professional Cook Training Program at Banquet Solutions Hawaii
    Finished
    60%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    8 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    11
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,000
    students trained with WIOA funding
    11

  • Cooking and kitchen job trainingIn personEducation and courses

    Professional Cook's Program

    Hotel and Restaurant Industry Employment and Training Trust

    Honolulu

    Education and courses

    Hotel and Restaurant Industry Employment and Training Trust, HonoluluCooking and kitchen job trainingIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,000
    More details about Professional Cook's Program at Hotel and Restaurant Industry Employment and Training Trust
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    21 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,000

How to pay for culinary school in Hawaii

WIOA funding can pay for culinary school in Hawaii

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 Hawaii

programs with a price cost under $5,000
3 of 7
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
16th of 28
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
10 of 15
culinary programs here, against the typical state's 8
7 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 Urban Honolulu, Kahului and other Hawaii cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Hawaii

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

Where the Hawaii culinary arts program numbers come from

Which Hawaii culinary arts programs are on this list?

These are the culinary arts programs Hawaii 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 Hawaii offers.

How the prices and results of Hawaii 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 Hawaii

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