Culinary school in Massachusetts

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

4 schools offer these culinary arts programs, and Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, all 4 programs take students without a high school diploma.

By kind, the 4 programs here are culinary arts certificate or diploma (3 programs) and cooking and kitchen job training (1 program).

See the 4 programs

How much does culinary school cost in Massachusetts?

$6,804 to $14,784

is what the 4 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Length: Not enough data; 4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

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

Is there free culinary school in Massachusetts?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $6,804 to $14,784.

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

All 4 culinary programs in Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed
Culinary Arts Certificate
Middlesex Community College
Lowell
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Middlesex Community College, LowellCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,804
Program website, Culinary Arts Certificate at Middlesex Community College
More details about Culinary Arts Certificate at Middlesex Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
41 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$4,417
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,804
Program website, Culinary Arts Certificate at Middlesex Community College
Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed
Culinary Arts Certificate
Cape Cod Community College
West Barnstable
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Cape Cod Community College, West BarnstableCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,000
Program website, Culinary Arts Certificate at Cape Cod Community College
More details about Culinary Arts Certificate at Cape Cod Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
52 weeks, 14 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$6,118
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,000
Program website, Culinary Arts Certificate at Cape Cod Community College
Cooking and kitchen job trainingIn personNo diploma needed
ESOL Culinary Arts Program
YMCA of Greater Boston
Boston
No diploma needed
YMCA of Greater Boston, BostonCooking and kitchen job trainingIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,000
Program website, ESOL Culinary Arts Program at YMCA of Greater Boston
More details about ESOL Culinary Arts Program at YMCA of Greater Boston
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
12 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,000
Program website, ESOL Culinary Arts Program at YMCA of Greater Boston
Culinary arts certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed
Culinary Arts Program
Massasoit Community College
Brockton
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Massasoit Community College, BrocktonCulinary arts certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$14,784
Program website, Culinary Arts Program at Massasoit Community College
More details about Culinary Arts Program at Massasoit Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
60 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$6,761
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$14,784
Program website, Culinary Arts Program at Massasoit Community College

How to pay for culinary school in Massachusetts

WIOA funding can pay for culinary school in Massachusetts

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.

Culinary school in Boston, Barnstable Town and other Massachusetts cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Massachusetts

Where the Massachusetts culinary arts program numbers come from

Which Massachusetts culinary arts programs are on this list?

These are the culinary arts programs Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts offers.

How the prices and results of Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources

Nursing and patient care

Medical office and lab

General healthcare

Skilled trades

Transportation and logistics

Computers and IT

Business and office

Beauty and personal care

Public safety

Food and hospitality

Education and social services